Winston Williamson grapples with the realization that his personal life has become a fraud, while professionally, he's always been an imposter as the head of his father's law firm. Trapped in a profession he felt coerced into, Winston's cynicism deepens as his actions lead him down a path of moral and ethical decay. He battles his private demons: distant from his ailing father and unfaithful to his fading wife, struggling to cope with their deteriorating health. Simultaneously, jealousy fueled by his sense of inadequacy threatens his relationships within the firm. As he approaches a point of no return, Winston must decide whether to cross it or not, both in his professional and personal life. But has that moment already passed? Is redemption, or something akin to it, still possible? -- "Author Rodney Nelsestuen has created a memorable central character who, for all of his many flaws, will eventually garner some sympathy from even the most hard-hearted reader. QUIET DESPERATION is a slim novella written in the first person and charting the disgruntled interior life of its protagonist, Winston Williamson, a reluctant lawyer and perpetual cynic. Williamson's inner emotional turbulence is compelling..." his "ultimate self-reckoning is a...case of negligence and embezzlement that may be about to trigger the collapse of his company... the ending (though intriguingly inconclusive) centers Williamson's moment of truth and rewards the reader's patience." - Kent Lane for Indie Reader "A genuinely complex tale, one that confronts, with impressive verisimilitude, the complexity of moral affairs. A deeply thoughtful drama that never condescends with easy moralizing." -Kirkus Reviews