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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
Powerful… especially the audio book (read by the author.) loving without having felt love is nearly impossible.
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
3.75 stars. This was a book all about a man’s regrets that he has about the things he’s done in his life, mainly how he treated his gay son. It chronicles Jacob’s life from childhood to death. This was a pretty sad read, as Jacob never really gets true redemption. Jacob was also frustrating at times as a character. A lot of his reactions came across as how he felt at the time the events were happening and with his own hindsight and wishing he could’ve done things differently, but he didn’t make any attempts to bridge the gap with his son once he found out he was dying, other than the letter. The reader doesn’t know if the son, Isaac, forgives his father for all he’s done or has failed to do. This story felt really personal to the author, as the author’s note indicates, and it seems like this is his own way of dealing with all that went unsaid with his own father. This book was impactful, and I’m glad I read it.
This book was beautifully painful and I loved the way it was told. Very emotionally heavy but an important read. Make sure to look up trigger warnings because there’s many potentially triggering topics in this book.
This was beautifully written and a bit painful to read at times. It was easy to have empathy for all the characters, even during the hurtful/painful chapters. It offered an interesting perspective.
I honestly struggled on what to rate this book. I read the synopsis, a story about a father writing to his estranged son to try and mend their broken relationship before he passes on, and was immediately drawn to this. It is rich in a southern culture that, though I was not raised in this manner, I can relate to. My Grandparents were born in the 30's and my father in the 60's, like the Swintons, and I can see so many parallels from the way my father talks to me and his emotional connection with me, that he learned from his father before him. It helped me understand some of the things I question about our relationship. It also makes me feel so blessed to know that no matter what my father would love and support me, and I never doubt that he is proud of me.
This book tackles generational trauma and the repetition of mistakes that are passed down from one man to his sons and onto the next. There are stories about abuse and close-mindedness that run rampant in the black community, especially for those of older generations. Tales of strength and perseverance. A true testament of black courage; the courage to face our own failures and admit when we have made great mistakes and hurt those we love.
This book is not a work of strict non-fiction, but it will read as real as any other book of that nature. There is raw emotion here that cannot be matched. There are some hiccups along the way, but I would say overall it did not detract from the book. The characters are the heart of this story. The love Jacob feels for his son is the soul. Please give this book a read.
This book tackles generational trauma and the repetition of mistakes that are passed down from one man to his sons and onto the next. There are stories about abuse and close-mindedness that run rampant in the black community, especially for those of older generations. Tales of strength and perseverance. A true testament of black courage; the courage to face our own failures and admit when we have made great mistakes and hurt those we love.
This book is not a work of strict non-fiction, but it will read as real as any other book of that nature. There is raw emotion here that cannot be matched. There are some hiccups along the way, but I would say overall it did not detract from the book. The characters are the heart of this story. The love Jacob feels for his son is the soul. Please give this book a read.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes