The little fisherman inside David Zailer died when he was eight years old. Fifty years later, a business trip to his hometown of Houston forces David to face long-buried memories of hidden and unspeakable evil.

With the encouragement of a unique cast of characters — a no-nonsense grocery store clerk, a compassionate gravedigger, a quirky flower shop owner, and long-lost friends from childhood — David confronts his pain-filled memories of sexual abuse and church toxicity, the narcissism of his father, the suicide of his mother, and his life-threatening addictions. To his surprise, the process leads him on a journey of healing and forgiveness that resurrects the little fisherman long lost.

A vividly colorful memoir, Death of a Fisherman is a torrent of truthful courage and defiant hope. Zailer’s winsome yet authentic vulnerability illuminates a path towards forgiveness for everyone who has wrestled with the complicated family dynamics of religious, physical, sexual, and chemical abuse.