by Dave Itzkoff
First published 2011
Dave Itzkoff grew up believing his father might be imaginary. The man who came home each night was both protector and ghost, sharing dreams and fears with his young son while hiding a devastating secret. By day, Itzkoff's father worked as a fur merchant in New York, dispensing life lessons and serving as an ally against homework and Hebrew school. By night, he disappeared into cocaine addiction. Itzkoff watched his father cycle through drug-fueled depressions and vanishing acts throughout his teenage years. In college, Itzkoff fell into his own struggle with substances, convinced he would never escape the same demons. When his father finally achieved sobriety, both men faced an uncertain future. Together they embarked on a cross-country road trip, searching for understanding and connection. This memoir chronicles Itzkoff's journey to reconcile his love for the father who raised him with his anger toward the addict who abandoned him.
Genres: addiction, autobiography, biography-memoir, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: New York
Period: Teenage Years
240 pages · Hardcover · Villard
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, substance-abuse