The Umbrella

This novel follows the lives of about 16 people who have only one thing in common: a mysterious black umbrella. That, and a visit to a very unusual bar and restaurant called 'The Seventh Circle'. Two men, one the owner/bartender of the bar, and a mystical traveling umbrella salesman who frequents the bar every night, are our guides into the lives of these people. Much like Dante and Virgil in The Inferno, these two men take the visitors through the seven levels of Purgatory. These levels represent the seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy and Pride. Each of these people arrive at the bar at a crossroad in their lives and must choose between good and evil. Coupled with a high stakes wager between our two guides, the futures of these people hang in the balance.