by Rick Bragg
First published 2008
Rick Bragg finds himself unprepared for fatherhood when he marries a woman with a ten-year-old son. The boy knows love and affection, not the violence and neglect that shaped Rick's own childhood. Rick cannot throw a punch and doesn't need to. He wants a relationship that Rick has no idea how to build. Carrying the weight of this new responsibility, Rick journeys back to his Alabama roots to understand three generations of men. He explores Jacksonville's century-old mill, the source of both prosperity and decay for his hometown. He examines his father, a troubled hustler who brought harm even to those he loved most. Through this exploration of his past, Rick discovers an unexpected path toward the present. He begins a remarkable journey into fatherhood and develops a devotion to his stepson that surprises him completely. This final book in Bragg's family trilogy examines the complex bonds between fathers and sons across generations.
Genres: family-life, memoir, non-fiction, parenting
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, personal-journey
Setting: Alabama, Jacksonville
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
432 pages · Paperback · Random House Large Print
Content warnings: abuse, violence