And You Will Call It Fate with Timothy J. Hillegonds in conversation with Mike Chalmers 

Join us at Four Seasons Books for an intimate, thoughtful evening with Timothy J. Hillegonds author of And You Will Call It Fate, a powerful new memoir in the American Lives series. Hillegonds will be joined in conversation by Mike Chalmers for a discussion that digs deep into power, survival, and the complicated ways harm and healing can coexist.

Set against the backdrop of Chicago’s financial district, And You Will Call It Fate traces an eight-year relationship between Hillegonds and Sean Dempsey, a charismatic former NFL player turned entrepreneur. At the start, Dempsey appears as a lifeline. Hillegonds is a high school dropout, struggling with addiction and estranged from his family, suddenly pulled into the high-stakes world of finance under Dempsey’s intense mentorship. What unfolds is a story where opportunity and control become entangled, and where gratitude slowly curdles into obligation.

As Hillegonds reflects on the devastating two-year lawsuit that ultimately freed him, the memoir becomes something larger than a workplace narrative. It is a clear-eyed meditation on masculinity, power dynamics, manipulation, and redemption, and on the unsettling question at its core: how do we reckon with the people who both save us and harm us?

This conversation will explore those themes with care and nuance, touching on addiction, recovery, ambition, and the emotional cost of breaking free from toxic systems. Expect a candid, reflective discussion followed by audience Q&A and a book signing.

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