Second Son Author:Robert Ferro This is the story of the Valerians, a large family caught in the dual dilemma of illness and the loss of the family business - two events that fall together, likme a curse, on the same day. Mark Valerian, the second son, is introduced through the letters of a mutual friend to Bill Mackey, a young theatrical designer. Freed from the overpowering ... more »fear of disease by the ironic fact of their both being ill, they become lovers. Together, nearly as an act of will, they are determined to survive, helped by love and the inexplicable magic of belief.« less