Richard Farrell Knihy

“This is the kind of novel I like best . . . Great writing, great plotting, and a thoughtful plumbing of what makes us human.” —B. A. Shapiro, bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Collector’s Apprentice First, it’s just a barely believable rumor: one person may have survived the midair explosion of a passenger jet on a cross-country course from Washington, DC, to San Francisco. But soon she becomes a national media sensation when “the Falling Woman,” as the press dubs her, is said to have been taken to a Wichita hospital—and then to have disappeared without a trace. As a dedicated National Transportation Safety Board agent joins the search for clues, he becomes drawn into the woman’s moving and personal fight to keep secret the story of her survival, even from her own family, and possibly at risk to his own career. The Falling Woman is a novel that asks compelling and controversial questions about the value of life and what should be sacrificed in the name of love.

"Blunt and honest...A stunning piece of work." T.J. English. "Deeply moving... a rush of blood to the head and heart, the kind only true art can deliver." --Andre Dubus. "An amazing story not just of survival, but redemption." Mary McGarry Morris. Richie Farrell grew up in a working-class Irish neighborhood in Massachusetts, where his father pushed him to become a star athlete to overcome a birth defect, sometimes using harsh methods. After a knee injury, he fell into addiction, becoming a heroin user by thirty, stealing from friends, and living in abandoned buildings. His life spiraled into despair, culminating in a suicide attempt. Following that, he was ordered to detox and faced a stark choice: "Jail, death, or honesty. You choose." In this harrowing memoir, Farrell recounts his descent into addiction and the struggle to reclaim his life. It’s a gritty, haunting tale of desperation, violence, and the oblivion of heroin, showcasing the depths to which a man can fall and the fight required to rise from it. "[Farrell] carries you on this rollercoaster ride of ugliness and beauty. Don't miss it." Phyllis Karas. Richard Farrell is an author, filmmaker, and adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. His documentary, High on Crack Street, aired on HBO and won a duPont Award. The Fighter, a film based on this documentary, will feature him alongside Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. He resides in Milford,