"Zlavik" tells the story of how Allen Ford loses his older brother in a horrific accident, and then spends the next twenty years of his life searching for the meaning of that event and a new brother. Allen meets Zlavik Johnson, a gifted, charismatic but troubled man who confides that he hears a special voice that has told him that he has to complete three special tasks. The two men forge a bond with Zlavik becoming Allen's spiritual mentor, as they start a journey of discovery. One reviewer has described this novel as "Goodwill Hunting" meets "The Dead Poet's Society."