Réal Laplaine Author

The Buffalo Kid was inspired by homeless people I met while living in Los Angeles, a city, contrary to its reputation as the City of Angels, with over 100,000 homeless souls living on its streets. Later, I moved, quite unexpectedly, to Buffalo New York, which at the time was considered one of the poorest cities in America. We fell in love with the place, and the more I learned about the city and the people I met, the inspiration for this story grew.

The Buffalo Kid, while a fiction rendering, is based on actual people I met, and its main character, John Ross, is the avatar for those people. Like so many others of his time, John was living the American dream; but when the steel industry, a backbone of the city, suddenly bottomed out in Buffalo, and pulled up anchors, a vibrant city was cast into the shadow of its former glory. Fact, not fiction.

The story follows Ross, who loses everything, goes bankrupt, and his wife leaves him with their two newborns. Ross ends up on the streets of Buffalo, New York, penniless and forgotten for over thirty years. At the age of 71, having survived the brutal winters which Buffalo supplies in spades, the Kid, on the hunt for handouts on a cold blistery day, encounters a stranger who happily gives him $50. Stunned by the man's generosity, the Kid follows him, and what ensues is not only a thrill ride, but a story that reminds us that everyone, anyone, can make a come-back, a 2nd chance at life. The Buffalo Kid is a heartwarming story that will change how you see the homeless people you may pass by in your daily life. Moreover, like so many who have read the book, it reminds us that the Buffalo Kid could have been a relative, a friend, a neighbor or even a father.