by Jared Cohen
First published 2020
Donald and his son Jared navigate the complexities of modern manhood through an intimate correspondence that spans months of their lives. Donald watches his son struggle with questions that have no easy answers in a culture that has abandoned traditional markers of masculine identity. Their letters reveal two men trained in different psychological approaches, each trying to understand what it means to be a father and a son when old certainties have crumbled. Jared pushes back against his father's observations while wrestling with his own doubts about contemporary masculinity. Donald responds with hard-won wisdom about male relationships and the guidance young men desperately need. Their exchange becomes a raw examination of growing up male in America's rapidly shifting cultural landscape. At its heart, this is a story about two people who love each other trying to bridge generational divides and find solid ground in uncertain times.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary, relationships
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, generational-divide
Period: 21st-century
314 pages · Kindle Edition · Nicolas-Hays, Inc