Norman McCombs, Author of 'A Reason to Be: A Novel,' Interviewed by Michelle Jerson on Passport Mommy Radio Show: How does the past affect the present? How do the decisions our ancestors made centuries ago affect our lives now? What is our reason to be? These are all questions debut author Norman McCombs asks in his gripping historical novel A Reason to Be, a poignant tale of loss, hope, and the transcendent power of the love that binds us to one another. A critically acclaimed White House National Medal of Technology and Innovation winner, McCombs tells the semi-autobiographical story of Douglas McCombs, an accomplished engineer and recent widower who is driven to discover the truth of who he is by studying the people and places he comes from. After losing his wife to a battle with Alzheimer’s, Douglas is left devastated until a chance encounter with a sharp, compassionate librarian named Suzy Hamilton on the steps of the New York Public Library shakes him from the throes of grief. With Suzy’s help, Douglas takes up genealogy and begins an investigation into his Scottish lineage that takes the reader on a sprawling journey through time. As he traces his ancestry through generations, Douglas manages to discover not only the roots he was searching for, but also a brand-new reason to be.“A Reason to Be is a brilliant, cerebral narrative of a man’s journey to discover who he is within the stunning breadth of history.”Rachel Song, Songbird, 5-starsMcCombs has over two hundred patents worldwide, primarily for air separation technology used for a myriad of oxygen applications around the world.