The Colossus: A Novel

Henry DeGolyer’s life begins in the shadows of New Orleans, orphaned after his mother’s death and shuffled through a foundling home and the cramped quarters of an Italian caretaker. Determined to escape his bleak beginnings, he teaches himself the trade of a newsboy, climbs the ranks of a bustling city paper, and eventually earns the post of city editor—only to be knocked back by a change in ownership that reduces him to the margins. Still, his sharp eye and vivid sketches earn quiet acclaim, even when the byline never reaches his name.

Now, seasoned but restless, DeGolyer finds himself summoned by the newspaper’s managing editor, who offers a daring assignment that could finally put his talent on a larger stage. The prospect of traveling to Costa Rica to cover a story for powerful merchants awakens both his ambition and the lingering doubts that have haunted him since childhood. As he weighs the promise of recognition against the risk of new enemies, the next chapter of his life teeters on the brink of discovery.