"Captures the essence of what it's like trying to get by during the 21st century Depression. Should be required reading for every politician..."  Amazon review

After serving his country and earning a philosophy degree, an Iraq war veteran struggles to support his family in recessionary America, pushing him closer and closer to the brink of suicide, when a murdered girl, cancer and a nursing home miracle come together as a message of hope. With a wife and two children to support, Mike Gilbacher ventures into the work world only to find disappointment as a low-paying convenience store clerk. Then, an opportunity at a nursing home arises, but things get worse as he witnesses the neglect and endures the constant stress of dealing with dying people. Mike’s frustration builds until he becomes hopeless, thinking he has found his only answer in a bottle of pills. Can his life be saved and faith restored?

M.T. Daffenberg served five years in the US Navy and then earned a BA from Northern Illinois University in philosophy with a focus on ethics, and a minor in English with a focus on twentieth-century literary fiction and creative writing. M.T., who also goes by "Empty," hopes his first novel An American Gospel brings attention to the challenges of supporting a family during hard times while staying true to one's principles.