In 1938 New York, Ben Heald, a young prodigy, struggles with his family’s demands to come into the family business. Will he follow his heart?

In 1938 New York, Ben Heald, a young prodigy and champion swimmer, dreams of earning a professorship at MIT. When Ben receives word that his mother is near death, and his father demands he leave prep school to become his business partner, he becomes unmoored. The Heald family unravels as multiple troubled souls in Ben’s orbit come into conflict: a mother afflicted by a mysterious disease, a brilliant math teacher, an Austrian tropical disease specialist, a profligate uncle in debt to the mafia, and a first love. The events in the story change the Healds in different ways, their inner journeys serving as a metaphor for following one’s heart.

Based on true events, Ben’s story is driven by a quirky voice, evocative writing, and humor. Early readers have praised its powerful descriptions of 1930s New York, the 1938 New England hurricane, boarding school life, and first love. In Here. I. Am., Ben faces a crippling choice common to millions of family businesses, as devastating events reshape his world. Will he be loyal to his family or his dreams? And, will he be able to make peace with those who expect so much of him?