Brendan Kiely and Norman Ollestad’s "Sole Survivor" Inspires Hope and Resilience

New York Times bestselling authors Brendan Kiely and Norman Ollestad join forces in Sole Survivor—a powerful exploration of hope, resilience and human connection in the face of unimaginable loss. The novel, inspired by a true 1979 plane crash in which an eleven-year-old boy was the only survivor, asks what it means to move forward when the unthinkable happens.

Kiely’s love for language and storytelling began early. “I really started writing in middle school,” he shared, “when I fell in love with hip-hop and rap. That’s where my love for words—and for social engagement—really began.” That passion for truth-telling and justice continues to shape his work today, blending personal emotion with broader social commentary.

When asked about the inspiration behind Sole Survivor, Kiely explained that Norman Ollestad had written about the real-life event before, but this new collaboration gave them a chance to approach it from a different perspective. “Norm had written this story before, but I wanted to tell it in a way that would resonate with young people,” Kiely said. “This story gives us tools to teach ourselves resilience—to remind us that even in the darkest moments, we must hold on to hope.”

The novel not only revisits a historic tragedy but reframes it as a lesson in endurance and empathy. Kiely and Ollestad hope it will encourage readers, especially students, to look inward and discover strength in their own stories. True to his classroom roots, Kiely loves bringing these themes into his teaching and invites aspiring writers to join him in creative writing discussions about how stories can transform pain into purpose.

As Kiely and Ollestad continue to write with compassion and conviction, Sole Survivor stands as both a tribute to real-world courage and a testament to storytelling’s power to heal.

Categories: Arts and Culture