Private Barrett once believed he was everything he always wanted to be—a star athlete, a devoted husband, and a proud father. Before long, he’s no longer the town hero, and depression takes over. Feeling lost, Barrett enlists in the army, searching for meaning in the Vietnam War. What begins as a quest for victory and purpose becomes a decade-long detachment from his former life. Wounded and presumed dead, Barrett seeks refuge in a quiet village and tries to make the most of his second chance. The people of the village welcome him, and his heart finds its way to Liên—a woman who sees the broken man and his scars but embraces him anyway.

As his body heals, he must overcome addiction and find his way through enemy lines to start his voyage westward— across an ocean of regret. He doesn’t know what awaits him back in Ithaca: a son he barely knows, a wife he’s betrayed, a life shattered.

Can a man who’s been lost for nearly ten years ever truly be found? Can he be more than a shadow of who he once was— or will everyone see him as the monster he fears he’s become?

The King of Ithaca is rooted in myth and rich in emotional depth. It is a journey of self-discovery, exploring the bond between father and son and the universal longing to be worthy of love. In the end, it is a story about finding the light we bring to others— and letting it guide us home.