Crosswinds - Edward Allen Karr

Socrates Lewis struggles through his life, almost always leaning to his left. He has a stalled writing career, relationships needing repair, and a steady flow of whiskey.

Miley, a suicidal hooker he meets in a dark alley, is tormented by an idea that she knows came from either God or Satan, but she can't determine which one. If it's true, God would want her to tell the world to set things straight. If it's false, Satan wants it told, hoping to destroy the faith of countless souls on Earth.

Socrates cares enough about her to listen to all that she unloads on him, which snares him in that same damning trap, not allowing even death as a way out.

And the only solution he can find comes from the one cheery light in his drab, colorless life: his brief, treasured bits of banter with a young girl named Wendy.