Miasma: Good People, Bad Events: A Novel

Miasma: Good People, Bad Events: A Novel

The literal, original meaning of miasma was “to pollute” (from Greek). Before the advent of modern germ theory, illness was believed to be caused by miasma (vapors) emanating from pools of water or rotting vegetation. The literal meaning of miasma is now antiquated. The word’s figurative meaning evokes something destructive, demoralizing, or foreboding; it often surrounds or permeates an atmosphere or denigrates human thought, well-being, and interactions. Miasma: Good People, Bad Events is a fictional novel that relates the story of the Aitken family. Their father and three brothers experience the life changing, demoralizing effects of a mental health illness that medical doctors and psychiatrists say doesn't exist. The brothers are what most people would call good people. Yet, their lives are filled with miasmatic events that pull them into oblivion. Miasma explores the conundrum of why bad things happen to good people.