Five Books Trace the Search for Meaning Through Free Will, Justice, History, and Faith

The Maple Staple Bookstore’s latest featured collection brings together five works that move through philosophy, law, history, and faith, each one shaped by a search for meaning, justice, or understanding. One title imagines human existence through the eyes of an alien visitor studying life and free will. Another follows a personal legal battle to defend a mother’s final wishes. Two works look closely at Ohio’s past, from the mystery of the Great Serpent Mound to a World War I road-building project tied to prison labor. The collection also includes a faith-based testimony written for those carrying pain from trauma and searching for strength beyond it.

I Am Machine: Life Without Free Will by Lex Van Der Ploeg opens with a question that has followed human beings for centuries: do people truly have free will? Written from the perspective of Ramona Black Hole, an alien visitor to Earth and leader of the globular cluster Messier 13 galactic exploration team, the book considers human life within a universe filled with other forms of existence. Ramona reflects on Earth in comparison with prior planetary experiences and other extraterrestrial encounters, asking what it means to be alive, how much control humans really have, and whether parallel universes or alternative realities may exist. Van Der Ploeg’s search for the meaning of life helped inspire the book. His background includes work as a tenured faculty member at Columbia University as well as experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields involving diagnostics and therapeutics.

From questions of choice and existence, Justice Served: How I Represented Myself To Victory: Stepping Into Power: A Step By Step Guide To Navigating The Probate System With Confidence And Success by Dr. Sheila Owens-Collins turns toward the personal realities of law, family, and advocacy. The book follows her fight for guardianship of her mother and her effort to defend her mother’s final will amid family dispute and probate proceedings. Representing herself, she challenged a judge in federal court and worked to honor what she describes as her mother’s final remaining constitutional right. This poignant journey delves into the intricacies of justice, revealing the struggle surrounding her mother’s civil rights within the guardianship system until her passing, 15 months later. Her last will became the focal point of her determination to defend her mother’s wishes and honor her legacy. This is a gripping story of resilience, justice, and the victory she describes in standing on her own in a probate court. Dr. Owens-Collins brings the same advocacy into her professional and personal life.

The Great Serpent Mound: An Ancient Ohio Mystery by Jeffrey Alan John brings readers to one of Ohio’s most enduring landmarks, where history, archaeology, and unanswered questions meet. The book explores the Great Serpent Mound through fundamental questions: what culture created it, why it was made, and when it was built. Thousands of years ago, people in what would become southern Ohio encountered a landscape they recognized as special. They could not have known that the view overlooked a 300-million-year-old crater, but over time, generations of societies made the plateau a resting place and eventually raised the Great Serpent Mound, a place where history and mystery coincide. The preserved effigy later inspired pioneering archaeology and continues to prompt interpretation and debate. Scientists have interpreted it as measuring the calendar, while theologians and mystics continue to ponder its spiritual meaning.

That attention to Ohio’s layered past continues in Progressives and Prison Labor: Rebuilding Ohio’s National Road during World War I by Jeffrey Alan John, which examines a controversial road-building project during wartime. When Ohio Governor James M. Cox responded to federal requests to make the National Road suitable for military vehicles, a shortage of workers threatened the effort. Hundreds of convicts, almost all African American, were pulled from Ohio’s prisons to form the labor corps. Completed just as the war ended, the project created what was reputed to be the world’s longest stretch of continuous brick road. Drawing on archives, contemporary records, and many previously unpublished photographs, John recalls the National Road background, the personalities involved, and the construction project that took place in southeast Ohio in 1918. A former journalist and historical society public relations writer, John later taught journalism for thirty years and continues as professor emeritus at Wright State University.

But God: (Been There, Done That, But God!) by Altricia Black closes the collection with a testimony written for readers carrying hurt, confusion, and pain. The book speaks to those suffering in silence from the traumatic experience of sexual abuse, which the source connects to shame, guilt, suicidal thoughts, and harmful choices. Through personal testimony and steps of encouragement, Black points readers toward transformation, strength, and the belief that they can move from being victims to becoming victorious. Her background gives the work a ministry-centered foundation. Black is an elder at Church of the Living God House of Prayer Ministries, a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, and a former alumni president of the International School of Ministry in Maple Heights, Ohio. She has also served as a global prayer line facilitator since 2014.

Taken together, these five featured titles ask readers to consider the forces that shape human lives, whether those forces are cosmic, legal, historical, or spiritual. Each book carries its own purpose: to question, guide, document, remember, or encourage. Find these featured works on The Maple Staple’s Digital Spotlight Shelf at https://themaplestaple.com/spotlight/ and browse the full catalog at https://themaplestaple.com/digital-bookstore/.

About The Maple Staple:

For bookworms, by passionate writers.

At The Maple Staple, books come alive beyond mere pages. It’s more than a bookstore—it’s a community hub for book enthusiasts and budding authors. Celebrating diversity, they curate books from up-and-coming independent writers, and offer a platform to underrepresented voices. With captivating events and book clubs in the heart of Toronto, they foster a vibrant literary community, igniting inspiration and transformation through the enchanting power of words.

Contact Information

Emmanuel Laguardia

Director

Bookside Press

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