Puzzle Pieces

Puzzle Pieces takes its name from the idea that all individuals are irregular in some way, similar to the pieces of a puzzle, and that there is a place for everyone in the finished picture - in life. It speaks to the strong power of emotions over human behavior and examines the ambiguous concept of normalcy. This is a story of a middle-aged, divorced wife and mother, Ann Caldwell, who's suicide attempt results in her admission to the psychiatric unit of a local hospital. Here, she is introduced to a variety of social misfits - those people who weave in and out of our lives but never quite feel accepted or connected to the greater society - and the association pushes her to confront the guilt and shame she feels regarding several extra-marital affairs she was drawn into during her twenty-seven years of marriage. On her journey of self-examination, Ann becomes strongly influenced by her association with two unusual, almost mystical people - Llewelyn Ringgold, who will become her employer and confidante, ultimately bringing about a confrontation that threatens to unravel any chance she may have had toward mental stability, and Daniel Fleming, the charming man who seems to know her better than she does herself but just may be setting a familiar trap that she must avoid at all costs. Ann's trial is not an unfamiliar one to many who seek to know themselves better and understand why they do what they do.