Marilyn Moriarty's book, "Moses Unchained" is an extremely moving true story about a man she befriended because he stated "I have an honorable testimony."  Her portrayal of this man, Zack Rosen, shows his struggles in life and the turns it took with the unplanned events.  Most people find that with all the planning in the world, things can justifiably go wrong.  Along life's path events fall in the way and either act as stumbling blocks for the traveler or possibly enhance the rate at which distance is covered.
 Zack Rosen was a Harley Davidson man and he even built one from spare parts in his free time.  Zack was a Jew that converted to fundamentalist Christianity; he lived in New Jersey but he traveled quite frequently having the profession of a truck driver.
 Zack's story goes on to tell about the brief love stint with a woman named Shelley.  I say brief because she died of pneumonia.  Not only was this shocking to Zack but it was later found out that she had AIDS and that she had infected Zack too.  Zack life went on to follow a pattern of losing his family, friends and nearly everything.  In the long run -- he even lost his life.
 This is a biography of Zack Rosen's life.  While graphic at times it shows the reality of an individual's struggle with AIDS.
 
"I got up this terrible pain on the head of my penis.  When I got up one morning to take a leak; it was covered with sores, open sores, and it hurt like hell for me to pass urine.  I didn't know what it was."

 Zack Rosen's character is easy to feel for in his struggle.  His pain and suffering are all described in explicit details.  He married 3 times and slept around when he was a trucker.  He hated to read but loved to learn -- he had a poster of Albert Einstein on his wall and owned nearly all of Humphrey Bogart's films.  He learned from what he heard.

"Sometimes he confused words saying "futon" for "tofu."  His roommate and I remember best the way Zack used to say "the raft of God" for "the wrath of God."

 Zack believed that "Christ never abandons the afflicted"  and this showed in his fervent belief in Christ.
 The character of Shelley was evil lady in the tale of Zack Rosen.  Her past haunted Zack and her marriage from start to finish.  She in the end died from one of her biggest secrets.  Zack was constantly learning new things about her past and this hindered their growth.
 
 "In September 1989, the phone rang, a man said he wanted to talk to his mother.
 I said, "I think you have the wrong number."
 He said, "My mother is Shelley."
Sure enough, she had a 19 year old kid she didn't tell me about Gabrielle's brother Alex."

 Marilyn Moriarty befriended Zack and from December 6, 1993 until his death a year and a half later, they spent much time together working on his book.  She eventually cared for him in his later stages in his fight with the AIDS virus.  She did his taxes, paid his bills, bathed him, and nearly everything to keep him living.  He censored nothing to her.  She felt that helping him was a blessing.

"I did not go looking for Zack.  I was not searching for a story to write but when he entered my life, I embraced him."
 
 "A simple man with simple dreams, he had a great heart and the tribulations of Job;  he deserved, in my mind, to be heard."