HOWELL – Local author E.B. Rogers, also known as Ed Rogers, has released a new book called “Look In The Mirror,” a novel that uses the backdrop of a 1960s small town fire department to tell a story that dives deep into responsibility, personal character, and perhaps most importantly, faith and morality.
The story follows John Murphy, a firefighter who desperately wants to increase his rank at the fire department and be respected, without having the moral character to earn either of those things. Murphy often struggles to do what is right, and that shows in his relationships with the people around him.
In the book, Murphy runs for the position of second lieutenant at his volunteer fire company and uses underhanded tactics to garner votes. Firehouse tradition usually sees elder members of the fire company appoint who will be the next second lieutenant. Murphy does not want to wait for that and attempts to gather enough outside support to make his campaign. His opponent is Gus Bennett, is a former marine who was appointed through the traditional routes to become the next second lieutenant. He serves as a foil for Murphy since he possesses all the positive traits that Murphy desires and lacks.
Another foil for Murphy in this book is his wife. The good character that Murphy lacks at the fire department, he also lacks at home. When he is positioned next to his wife, a devout church practitioner, the morals that he lacks become more clear. It is his lack of strong character that lead to issues in his home life.
Murphy is a conflicted character. He did not have a solid role model growing up and is in constant conflict with the good influences in his life because of it. This all comes to a head on the election night, where there is a confrontation between Murphy and Bennett before the actual election.
On the same night of the election, there is a fire in the Stokes boarding house. An investigation at the boarding house reveals the shocking truth behind the actual cause of the fire.
Throughout the book, the reader is left wondering how Murphy is going to turn out. He has several opportunities to better himself, but the real question is, will he take any of them? He shows several times that he wants to better himself, but he keeps falling back on old habits.
When Rogers was asked why he chose a fire department as the setting for this story, he explained that since it was a familiar environment for him, it gave him a better idea for how the story could play out. He believes that it is important to write about what you know, and he wanted people to experience what it is really like to go into a fire.
Rogers, who is a current Howell resident, went to high school in Long Branch and served on their fire department for 27 years. Before joining the Long Branch Fire Department, Rogers served in the United States Air force, where he was a fire protection specialist.
Rogers has one remaining book fair date this season. He will be at the Eastern Branch Monmouth County Library in Shrewsbury on November 15 from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Here, readers can meet the man behind the novel and learn more about his story and why he chose to write this book.
