8:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 25, 2033:
"The following pages tell a true story; I know because it's my story. As I sit comfortably at my desk, here in my den, I share with you, my reader, the knowledge that I will die this afternoon. I am as sure of this elemental fact as the eagle is that he can fly or the fish that he can swim. Flanders Cremation Service has already been notified, and by Saturday at this time--if my wishes are carried out properly--I will be ashes. From then on, in this world, August Nathaniel Greenleaf will be just a memory. I can only hope that those whom I've loved will remember me with fondness, and perhaps a little forgiveness. Lord knows I have not always been easy to live with."
Thus begins the memoir of August Greenleaf, a troubled but gifted boy who has always known that someday, something miraculous would happen to him--even before he knew the meaning of the word miraculous. As is true of us all, August's story begins with his birth, which, in his case, he recalls clearly and in superlative detail. In addition, he is able to see a stately, white Victorian house that sits among the weeds near the southern shore of Jamaica Bay in Queens, New York, less than 300 yards from his family's seventh-floor living room window. No one else can see the house, yet August knows it's there. This dissonance adds to his anxiety, exacerbates his childhood phobias, and leads him to suspect that he is not so much gifted as weird.
August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days is a moving and insightful bildungsroman that follows its sensitive, intelligent protagonist as he makes his way in a challenging, sometimes tragic world. With heartache and humor, August learns to cope with love and loss and eventually comes to understand his uncanny gift of memory and connection to the supernatural.
About the Author :
Stuart Greenblatt was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, the two New York boroughs he writes about in his first novel, August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days. At the age of fifteen, he moved to Connecticut with his mother, Ella, and older brother, Larry. His father remained in Queens, and not long afterward, he and Ella divorced.
Stuart graduated from West Haven (Connecticut) High School, and after a series of dead-end jobs, he began his thirty-five-year career as a driver for UPS. The concept for this novel came to him early in his career--following a particularly memorable delivery--and he began filling notebooks with ideas for his story.
Shortly before retiring from UPS, Stuart began to suffer from recurring episodes of a debilitating depression, which led to him being hospitalized for several weeks. He credits his daughter, Sarah (a clinical social worker at the time), and the staff at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, for helping him through that difficult period in his life.
In March 2020, Stuart finally sat down to write his novel. Later that year, he teamed up with coauthor David Connell, a dog park buddy, and the two began a collaboration, with Stuart providing the narrative arc and most of the content, and David working to bring Stuart's vision to life.
Stuart now enjoys retirement with his wife, Debbie, their eight-year-old Jack Russell terrier mix, Bowie, and their many friends in the shoreline town of Branford, Connecticut.
David Connell was born in Massachusetts three years before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and celebrated V-J Day three weeks before entering the second grade. He attended public schools, graduating from Natick High School in 1956. He enrolled at Colgate University, where he majored in philosophy and football, and graduated in 1960 with a BA but without distinction. As a hedge against a career in sales, he joined the US Marine Corps' officer training program, and upon graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
In 1963, following his release from active duty, he entered the Pratt Institute School of Architecture in Brooklyn, where he earned his BArch in 1968. Married by then with two children, he moved to Connecticut to work with Warren Platner, a well-known interior architect and furniture designer. After over fifty years in the practice, he retired from architecture in 2020 to pursue other interests. These have included teaching himself the elements of poetry, writing doggerel that purports to be poetry (unpublished), and analyzing the work of other poets, mostly modernists (also unpublished).
Mr. Connell has three grown children and four grandchildren; he enjoys choral music and sings tenor with a local soprano, alto, tenor, and bass (SATB) group. A widower, he lives alone with his current dog, Alfred, on the Connecticut shoreline, east of New Haven, from where he can see Long Island.
August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days, coauthored with Stuart Greenblatt, is his first novel.
Review :
"Greenblatt and Connell offer a fictional memoir chronicling a man's extraordinary life grappling with his uncanny abilities... August is a lovable, fully realized character, and his family and friends are just as vividly drawn, making for an eventful life story."
--Kirkus Reviews
"August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days is a thought-provoking exploration of destiny. It manages to be both a 'lively, funny, and nostalgic' account of a New York childhood and a serious 'meditation on grief.' For any reader, particularly men looking for a narrative that balances hard work with spiritual depth, this book is a rewarding journey. It proves that even an 'ordinary person' can lead a life that is 'anything but ordinary.'"
--The Manhattan Book Review
"August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days is lively, funny, nostalgic, and loaded with snappy dialogue."
--Randall Beach, columnist and reporter for the New Haven Register, coauthor of The Legendary Toad's Place: Stories from New Haven's Famed Music Venue, and author of Connecticut Characters: Profiles of Rascals and Renegades
"Quite often, we as humans sideline the three fundamental questions that quietly linger within us all: How did we get here? Why are we here? And where do we go when we die? August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days tells the story of one such human, an ordinary person whose life journey reveals he is anything but ordinary.
In these pages, you'll meet a character so genuine, so relatable, that his joys and sorrows will feel like your own. As a child, he navigates a world filled with both the quiet discovery of unique gifts and the shadow of fears that shaped his early days. From these beginnings to the reflective final moments of his life, you will laugh, cry, and confront the profound questions often buried beneath the noise of daily living. Above all, this story will leave you with a sense of hope--hope that is richer, deeper, and more enduring than you ever thought possible."
--Charles F. Glassman, MD, FACP, CoachMD(TM), author of the critically acclaimed Brain Drain
"Some books stay with you long after you turn the last page, and August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days is one of them. A poignant, deeply reflective memoir, this book unravels the extraordinary life of August Greenleaf, a man burdened with loss, addiction, and an unusual gift--one that allowed him to see what others could not.
I relate to August completely as being 'special, ' with all the good and despair that comes with that knowing.
What stood out most was the intricate detail given to every character. Each person in August's life had a story that unfolded with care, making them feel real and significant. Their experiences, struggles, and connections reminded me of my own journey--how every person I meet seems to fit into the larger picture of my life in ways I may not fully understand yet.
What follows is an intricate, immersive journey through August's life, chronicling his experiences, the souls he encountered, and the lessons hidden in the mundane and mystical alike. The writing is deeply emotional, painting vivid portraits of the people August loved, lost, and learned from. Every character is given depth and meaning, turning their stories into reflections of our own connections and losses.
Though lengthy, the book never drags. The authors' meticulous attention to detail makes each character's arc feel like a standalone story, yet seamlessly woven into August's greater narrative. Reading it, I found myself contemplating my own life, the people who have come and gone, and the visible threads that tie us to our fates.
By the time I reached the final pages, I felt as though I had lived a lifetime alongside August. His struggles, his sorrow, his fleeting moments of joy--they all resonated deeply. This is not just a memoir; it is an exploration of the human experience, a meditation on destiny, grief, and the possibility of something beyond.
August Greenleaf's Last 7,000 Days is thought-provoking and utterly captivating. It made me reflect on my own past, my own losses, and the mysterious ways in which people and events shape who we become. It is a book that lingers, a book that makes you reconsider your own journey. And in the end, like August, I wasn't disappointed."
--Vincent Genna, MSW, psychic therapist, medium, master spiritual teacher, and bestselling author
