ABOUT THE BOOK

Within these halls of learning, one must proceed with caution.

Happily ensconced as a tenured Professor of Biology at the small Skowhegan College in the wilds of Maine, Tymoteusz Tarnaszewski—who goes by the moniker “T”—suddenly finds himself in unknown territory when an incident in a colleague’s classroom motivates the college administration to issue a blanket policy requiring the installation of “trigger warnings” in all syllabi.

T, believing that this would constrain his teaching, refuses to comply, even after one of his own students lodges a complaint about something T said during the course of a genetics lecture. The administration’s judgment is swift: T will be terminated at semester’s end for insubordination.

What recourse, if any, does T have to save his position? And what will he do when he learns the higher-ups knew, early on, that the student who lodged the complaint against him is actually a threat to the school?

MY REVIEW

The battleground between faculty and administration at a college takes center stage as the administration introduces mandatory trigger warnings on faculty syllabi. The novel follows the story of loner and tenured professor Tymoteusz Tarnaszewski, known as “T,” who finds himself at odds with the new policy, setting off a chain of events that reveals a captivating mystery amidst the academic setting.

T has spent four decades as an esteemed professor and is deeply passionate about teaching, earning unwavering admiration from his students. However, his reluctance to comply with the new trigger warning mandate lands him in hot water when a student raises a complaint about the content of his classroom discussion. As he grapples with the consequences of his objection, T navigates through a web of intrigue, pursuing answers regarding the identity of the mysterious student and the administration’s relentless pursuit to terminate his tenure.

Mr. Klose’s storytelling has an engaging and accessible quality that includes an exploration of T’s personal life, particularly his emotional journey following the loss of his wife combined with the unexpected alliances formed within the academic community. He also skillfully weaves in a compelling mystery that unfolds with finesse and retribution.

One of my favorite thought-provoking and timely quotes that resonates deeply within the current socio-cultural climate is “What, in your opinion, shouldn’t be tolerated? Aggression masquerading as righteousness.”

Whether you have worked in academia like me or you are seeking an enriching and enthralling story that includes intellectual discourse, personal resilience, and the unraveling of an academic institution, please give this book a try.

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