NEWBURYPORT, Mass., July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After decades guiding world-famous artists, professional athletes, business leaders, and public figures, helping them as they navigate personal transformation, psychiatrist, executive coach, and New York Times bestselling author Keith Ablow is bringing his expert insights to psychological fiction.
His new novel, A Matter of Life and Death: The Importance of Being Kane, available July 30, follows one man’s last-effort attempt to abandon the life he knows and become someone entirely new.
The novel is set in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the picturesque seaside town where Ablow has spent years working with clients seeking profound personal change, including Hunter Biden, who famously went there to treat his addiction. It explores a question many people secretly ask themselves: What if you could start your whole life over?
A Matter of Life and Death centers on Alex Kane, a man whose life has unraveled after dealing with a series of devastating personal losses. Convinced his story is over, Kane is able to start anew when he accepts an unusual proposition from a filmmaker friend: move to a small New England town peppered with actors, assume a new identity, and live as if he were an entirely different person.
As Kane sheds his former life, changes his appearance, and adopts a new name, he becomes increasingly unsure who around him is real and who may be part of an elaborate performance. What begins as an experiment in reinvention evolves into his deeper search for truth, authenticity, and self-discovery.
“The novel asks a question I’ve spent much of my career exploring with clients,” said Ablow. “How completely can people reinvent themselves? And if they can, what parts of themselves should they keep as the most authentic, and what parts should they leave behind?”
Throughout his career, Ablow has worked with individuals facing pivotal moments in their lives, such as leaders confronting public scrutiny, artists, athletes, and executives seeking renewed purpose and direction. Those experiences helped shape the themes at the heart of A Matter of Life and Death.
“Many people spend years playing a role they never consciously chose,” Ablow said. “They become trapped by expectations, past decisions, fear, or the opinions of others. This book explores what happens when someone finally decides to stop living according to someone else’s script and starts writing their own.”
While the novel is a work of psychological fiction, it examines timeless questions about identity, resilience, and the courage required to pursue a more authentic life.
The story arrives at a moment when conversations about authenticity have become increasingly relevant. As artificial intelligence and social media increasingly influence how people work, communicate, and express themselves, Ablow believes understanding one’s true identity behind the facade has never been more important.
“The more technology shapes our lives, the more important it becomes to understand who we are beneath the roles we play,” Ablow said. “Authenticity may ultimately be one of the most valuable human qualities we possess.”
A Matter of Life and Death: The Importance of Being Kane is the first installment in a planned trilogy from publishing house Speaking Volumes that examines transformation, identity, and personal evolution through the journeys of various characters.
Key Themes
- Radical reinvention, a second act, and comeback journey
- Authenticity and individuality in the age of artificial intelligence
- The roles people play in their everyday lives
- Fear, identity, and self-discovery
- The courage to pursue one’s truth
About Keith Ablow
Keith Ablow, MD is a bestselling author, psychiatrist, coach, and founder of Pain2Power. Throughout his career, he has helped individuals navigate adversity, transformation, and personal growth. His work explores how people can move beyond obstacles and reconnect with their deepest sense of purpose and identity. He is also the author of the USA Today bestselling Frank Clevenger psychological thriller series.
Book Information
Title: A Matter of Life and Death: The Importance of Being Kane
Author: Keith Ablow
Release Date: July 30, 2026
Genre: Literary Fiction / Psychological Fiction
Available At: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Media Contact
Marisa Spano
Elkordy Global Strategies
[email protected]
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