Fifty-Nine Days — Michael Gilbert

Joseph Taylor feels as though he needs to escape from his life. He is heartbroken over his failing relationships, distraught over his current complacency, and overly disillusioned with his life's direction. In an effort to leave his problems behind, he abandons his home state of Indiana to visit his friend, Ray Wallace, in Florida. Ray has his own issues he's working through. Ray is married with two children and finds the pressures of parenthood becoming increasingly overwhelming. Their trip will serve as a means to leave their worries behind as they travel to the southern tip of the state to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend on the beach.

It has been fifty-seven days since Ray has had a drink of alcohol, and it is his hope that he can maintain his sobriety during the journey. This hope proves impossible as Joseph and Ray are sucked into the bar scene. The two friends focus on their present experiences to find some meaning in their otherwise unfulfilled lives but problems arise as a result of their penchant for immediate gratification. They decide that focusing on the present, while working hard to forget their past failures, might just be their ultimate salvation.