When Pete Reilly graduated from Bishop Ireton in 1974, the country around him was in turmoil with the
Author Pete Reilly graduated from Bishop Ireton in 1974
He describes it as a “blend of historical detail, family drama, friendship, romance, and nostalgia, ‘Don't Drive Left Lane in Alexandria’ is both a portrait of a city and a tribute to a generation coming of age during uncertain times.”
“The plot basically follows a lawsuit,” Reilly said, and ties it to a set of friends from Bishop Ireton and the power company that brings together two families when one of the lineman is fatally electrocuted. At the center of the story is “Cowboy Murphy,” a rising senior at (then) T.C. Williams High School, whose world revolves around friendships, basketball games at "the Pitt," music, first love, and the uncertainty of a rapidly changing America.
Meanwhile, Cowboy's mother, Brigid Murphy, refuses to give up hope that her other son missing in Vietnam will one day return home. Across town, attorney Scott Jacob and his family become deeply connected to the lawsuit and the shifting cultural tensions shaping the era.
Reilly is part of the Virginia Writer’s Club and that’s where he met Elizabeth Merck, who ended up editing it. Merck has an editing business and noted that it's common for authors to write about what they know, so it's not unusual for someone to write about their childhood, the area they grew up in, people they knew, etc.
"Peter's book is historical fiction, which is a whole genre in and of itself,” said Merck. “It's when a fictional story is crafted using a real time and place. In Peter's case, he's written a coming-of-age tale set in Alexandria in the 1970s. I think he did a great job at scene setting and creating that nostalgia many readers will feel," she said.
Reilly’s writing career is just getting started with this book. After high school, he graduated from Marquette University's School of Business where he focused on accounting. From there he spent more than 40 years with the public accounting firm Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell (CBM). His career included uncovering fraud involving international humanitarian organizations and leading the successful acquisition of numerous CPA firms.
Reilly is also a swimmer and he has completed the demanding 4.4-mile Great Chesapeake Bay Swim 23 times.
But somewhere in there, he had this story and the characters coming to fruition. In 2023, he sat down in front of his computer and it all poured out.
He lives with his wife, Crissy, in Fort Hunt and are parents of three grown children, one who played baseball as a child on a team coached by Supervisor Dan Storck (D-Mount Vernon).
Reilly is just getting the book off the ground, and this starts with promoting it on social media as well as word of mouth, but so far he only has one event planned, a signing at the Nepanthe Gallery in Hollin Hills on Feb. 4, 2027.
If you go …
Book signing on Feb. 4, 2027
Nepenthe Gallery, Hollin Hills
7928 Fort Hunt Rd.
Alexandria, VA 22308