The Light in the Mirror focuses on Richard Hawkins, raised by his Uncle Mac, following the death of his family. A car accident plunges Richard into a coma, and into a dream world where he is reborn in to the family he never knew; he grows up in the turbulent 60s and 70s. Awakening in the hospital, he tells his uncle and girlfriend, Melissa, how real his life in the coma seemed. The experience gives him a new understanding of how the 60s and 70s changed our society. He deals successfully with the debilitating effects of the coma, drawing on his faith in God. Weakness on one side of his body requires him to walk with a cane. An unexpected effect is a temporary psychic ability. Regaining his health, Richard enters the business world of Dallas, and then events propel him into politics in his hometown. In a mayoral race, he opposes a former hippie of the 60s and 70s. Melissa confronts a dangerous stalker, and throughout the story, Richard seeks God's purpose for his life.