Diabetes in Fiction

FANTASIA ON A TEHEME OF THOMAS TALLIS is the story, of Joe a rich, handsome, womanizer who has it all but is still disillusioned with his life and the hypocritical people and society he has to deal with. He seeks spiritual fulfillment but cannot find it. At a fund raising party he has an argument over the question of illegal immigration to which he is adamantly opposed. This is the last straw in an already shaky marriage and leads to his divorce. Joe, happy to be rid of his nagging wife but at the same time also sad that the divorce had to happen questions where his life is going. At a diabetes education meeting he is attending with his mother he meets an attractive woman She proposes a date and after a disastrous encounter with her he is even further disillusioned with humanity and is seized in the grips of misanthropy. At the same diabetes education clinic he meets another woman, a Mexican immigrant with several health problems who is in a wheelchair. He is struck by her humbleness, intelligence and beauty. Through her he begins to understand what true love means. She leads him through a spiritual reawakening through music, art, literature and most importantly her love of life. Joe questions and discards his previous life style. He also learns to like her and then love her and learns to love the beauty inherent in life while still maintaining a cynical view of humanity. Their love leads to marriage and a magnificent honeymoon which however ends tragically. The novel is a love story between two seemingly diverse personalities which also touches on present day society's mores and explores the meaning of life and love using several works of art music and literature.