As the reader bears witness to the harrowing death of a nine-year-old boy, we experience his instant-- and miraculous-rebirth into the body of another. This new person; a hybrid of two conscious minds soon realizes that with his new body comes a new and frightening reality. His name is Julian, and he is the nine-year-old son of a charismatic leader of a cult whom his followers call "The Father". Together with his new mother and a teenage runaway named JoLynne, this doomed and broken family makes their journey to the "Compound"; a commune where drugs, sex and religion create a chaotic mix. As Julian struggles against The Father, he travels to the center of what it means to find a balance between the heart, the soul and the mind. "The Shallow Pool" explores the nature of consciousness, a family torn apart by the broken dreams of a twisted patriarch and the strength of one young boy who dares to fight-- and to survive.
