I Did Good, Sir follows Jack Reilly from his earliest encounters with mentorship through his professional formation and adult life. Set largely within veterinary practice and rural environments, the novel explores how a sensitive individual learns to navigate authority, responsibility, and self-doubt. Through a series of reflective episodes, the story examines how vocation, care, and language shape a person’s understanding of worth and direction.

United States, 1st Feb 2026 – A new work of reflective literary fiction, I Did Good, Sir by Randall N. Ross, has been released and is beginning to draw attention from readers interested in inward journeys, formative mentorship, and lives shaped by service rather than spectacle. The novel traces the emotional and spiritual development of its central character through moments of apprenticeship, loss, and moral testing, offering a restrained examination of how identity is formed over time.

Ross’s novel centers on Jack Reilly, a sensitive and observant young man whose early encounters with authority figures, animals, and responsibility leave a lasting imprint. Moving between childhood, professional training, and adulthood, the narrative follows Jack as he navigates expectations imposed by family, institutions, and mentors, while quietly attempting to listen for a more personal sense of direction. The book’s title echoes a pivotal moment in the story, a simple phrase that reflects both approval and misunderstanding, and becomes a touchstone for the novel’s broader inquiry into worth, language, and intention.

Rather than relying on dramatic plot turns, I Did Good, Sir unfolds through scenes of attention and presence. Much of the novel is set within veterinary clinics, rural landscapes, classrooms, and transitional spaces such as cabins and roadways. Animals appear not as symbols but as living beings requiring care, patience, and humility, mirroring the protagonist’s own learning curve. The work invites readers to consider how vocation can function not only as a career, but as a moral practice shaped by listening, repetition, and accountability.

Early readers have noted the novel’s measured pace and its emphasis on interior experience. Responses have highlighted Ross’s refusal to offer easy resolutions, instead allowing moments to accumulate meaning gradually. Several readers have pointed to the book’s depiction of mentorship as particularly resonant, emphasizing how guidance is shown as imperfect, human, and deeply influential without being idealized. Others have remarked on the quiet tension between external success and internal alignment that runs throughout the narrative.

The prose style of I Did Good, Sir is deliberately unadorned. Ross employs plainspoken language and close observation, trusting the reader to engage with what is left unsaid. The novel’s structure reflects this approach, favoring episodic movement and reflection over conventional plot escalation. This restraint aligns with the book’s thematic concern for attention, a quality that Ross has described as central to both his professional and creative life.

In a brief comment on the book’s origins, Ross noted, “I wasn’t interested in writing a story that explains itself. I wanted to write something that stays close to how learning actually feels, uncertain, repetitive, and shaped by small moments that don’t announce their importance at the time.” That sensibility is evident throughout the novel, which resists categorization as either purely coming-of-age or professional fiction, instead occupying a reflective space between the two.

Although the novel is not autobiographical in a literal sense, it draws on environments and experiences familiar to the author. The veterinary settings, in particular, are rendered with specificity and respect, reflecting years of firsthand knowledge. These details ground the story while allowing it to address broader questions about service, competence, and the ethical weight of care. According to the book’s publication details, I Did Good, Sir is a work of fiction, and its characters and events are imaginative constructions rather than direct representations  .

The book’s reception thus far suggests that it is finding an audience among readers who value contemplative fiction and narratives centered on moral attention rather than spectacle. Podcast hosts and cultural editors have expressed interest in the novel’s crossover appeal, particularly its relevance to conversations about work, calling, and the often unspoken emotional lives of those in caregiving professions. The novel’s themes also resonate with readers navigating transitions, whether professional, personal, or spiritual.

I Did Good, Sir arrives at a moment when many readers are reexamining inherited definitions of success and fulfillment. By focusing on the slow accumulation of understanding rather than decisive triumphs, the novel contributes to a growing body of literature concerned with inward development and ethical presence. Its questions are not framed as problems to be solved, but as conditions to be lived with attentively.

Brief synopsis

I Did Good, Sir follows Jack Reilly from his earliest encounters with mentorship through his professional formation and adult life. Set largely within veterinary practice and rural environments, the novel explores how a sensitive individual learns to navigate authority, responsibility, and self-doubt. Through a series of reflective episodes, the story examines how vocation, care, and language shape a person’s understanding of worth and direction.

About the author

Randall N. Ross was raised in Torrington, Connecticut, in a family shaped by work, routine, and quiet perseverance. Drawn early to animals and the people who cared for them, he pursued a career in veterinary medicine that included years of training, farm work, and clinical practice. He later founded Vermont’s first small animal mobile veterinary clinic, which he operated for more than three decades.

Alongside his scientific and professional life, Ross has maintained a long-standing creative practice. He has written song lyrics performed on national television, composed music staged off-Broadway, and published poetry focused on reflection and inner experience. These creative pursuits have informed his fiction, which often examines service, mentorship, and attentiveness as lived practices rather than abstract ideals.

I Did Good, Sir reflects this convergence of experience. While fictional, the novel draws on emotional and ethical landscapes familiar to the author, exploring how individuals learn to listen, serve, and continue becoming without certainty. Ross continues to write fiction that extends the questions introduced in this work.

Availability

Randall N. Ross is available for interviews, podcast conversations, and literary discussions related to I Did Good, Sir, including topics such as reflective fiction, vocation, mentorship, and the intersection of professional life and creative practice. Media inquiries and interview requests are welcome.

Media Contact

Organization: Randall N. Ross

Contact Person: Randall N. Ross

Website: https://a.co/d/hFNjRzO

Email: Send Email

Country:United States

Release id:40864

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Tennessee, US, 1st February 2026, ZEX PR WIRE, Paul Bowman of Knoxville views fundraising through the lens of a historian. For over thirty years, he has brought structure, continuity, and a deep respect for precedent to the nonprofit world. His leadership style reflects his training as a history instructor and his long experience in development roles across higher education, social services, and faith-based foundations.

Educated at Lee University and the University of Memphis, Bowman has spent much of his career helping organizations plan for the future while honoring the past. He sees parallels between historical research and fundraising strategy: both demand thorough documentation, context awareness, and long-term thinking.

“In history, you don’t act on guesses,” Bowman says. “You document sources, understand timelines, and look at cause and effect. Fundraising is the same.”

As a nonprofit executive, Bowman uses this approach to guide policy, engage donors, and design fundraising systems that endure beyond any one campaign. He believes sustainable development depends on more than charisma or urgency. It requires institutional memory, consistent planning, and clear records—principles rooted in his academic discipline.

This mindset has shaped Bowman’s leadership at the Holston Conference Foundation, where he served as President and CEO. There, he helped build endowment strategies and legacy programs that reflected both donor intent and organizational goals. His work ensured that gifts aligned with mission, documentation supported decisions, and communication remained steady at every stage.

Bowman also brings historical insight into board development and team training. He encourages organizations to see fundraising not as a series of transactions, but as a process shaped by culture, values, and past decisions. When new leaders or staff members join, he supports onboarding that includes historical context. What commitments have been made? What strategies have worked? Where have shifts occurred?

This level of depth helps organizations avoid repeating mistakes or discarding effective practices. It also strengthens trust with donors, who see that their contributions are part of a thoughtful, consistent framework.

Bowman’s teaching experience reinforces his communication skills. As an adjunct history instructor, he has worked with students online and in person, translating complex topics into clear takeaways. That same clarity defines his donor outreach. He avoids jargon and focuses on shared understanding. Whether discussing a major gift or a planned legacy, Bowman ensures both sides know what to expect.

His approach does not rely on trends. It rests on structure. That makes it resilient—especially in times of transition or uncertainty. By grounding leadership in context and continuity, Bowman helps nonprofits stay focused on mission and purpose, even as goals evolve.

About Paul Bowman
Paul Bowman Knoxville is a nonprofit executive and history instructor with over three decades of experience in development leadership. His career spans higher education, social services, and faith-based foundations. Known for his structured and transparent approach, Bowman helps organizations build lasting fundraising programs rooted in clarity and context.