Father's Day by Simon Van Booy
Publication date: April 26, 2016
Publisher: Harper
Hardcover: 304 pages
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours for an honest review
Description:
“A strong voice full of poetic, timeless grace.”—San Francisco Examiner
When devastating news shatters the life of six-year-old Harvey, she finds herself in the care of a veteran social worker, Wanda, and alone in the world save for one relative she has never met—a disabled felon, haunted by a violent act he can’t escape.
Moving between past and present, Father’s Day weaves together the story of Harvey’s childhood on Long Island and her life as a young woman in Paris.
Written in raw, spare prose that personifies the characters, this remarkable novel is the journey of two people searching for a future in the ruin of their past.
Father’s Day is a meditation on the quiet, sublime power of compassion and the beauty of simple, everyday things—a breakthrough work from one of our most gifted chroniclers of the human heart.
Purchase Links
My Take:
I haven't read any other books by Simon Van Booy, but after reading Father's Day, I will be seeking out his other works. I find this book to be difficult to describe without giving too much away or simply gushing over how much I liked it.
I was captivated from the first page by the deceptively simple and sparing prose. The writing style fits the characters so well and I found it to be just beautiful. Aside from the writing itself, the characters and their relationships appealed to me very much. The characters seemed authentic, interesting and their hard-earned relationships are heartwarming.
Harvey is a young girl when her parents die and she ends up in the care of Wanda, a veteran social worker who has a feeling about what is best for Harvey. I loved Wanda's kindness and stubbornness. I also loved that she followed her instincts and many years of experience with people to make sure Jason and Harvey had a shot. Jason is the most difficult character in the book - he is rough around the edges, and I've seen the word "prickly" used to describe him, and really, it is a great word for Jason. He has had a hard life - a felon who has done his time and is trying to get along in the world. Suddenly this little girl comes into his life and it isn't the easiest transition for him.
Getting to read about Jason's personal growth and his adapting to being a father was just a wonderful experience. He has a long, hard, but fulfilling road ahead of him and he works so hard to provide a home for Harvey.
I think Father's Day is one of the best books I have read this year. It has really stuck with me. Perhaps because I am a parent, I found it particularly poignant and I appreciated the reminder that "perfect parents" don't exist. Kids don't need perfection, they need someone who will love them, take care of them, and accept them for who they are. I hate to go into too much detail because I want readers to open the book without any preconceived ideas or expectations. I enthusiastically recommend Father's Day to pretty much all readers and it certainly is on the list of books I am recommending to friends and family.
I was captivated from the first page by the deceptively simple and sparing prose. The writing style fits the characters so well and I found it to be just beautiful. Aside from the writing itself, the characters and their relationships appealed to me very much. The characters seemed authentic, interesting and their hard-earned relationships are heartwarming.
Harvey is a young girl when her parents die and she ends up in the care of Wanda, a veteran social worker who has a feeling about what is best for Harvey. I loved Wanda's kindness and stubbornness. I also loved that she followed her instincts and many years of experience with people to make sure Jason and Harvey had a shot. Jason is the most difficult character in the book - he is rough around the edges, and I've seen the word "prickly" used to describe him, and really, it is a great word for Jason. He has had a hard life - a felon who has done his time and is trying to get along in the world. Suddenly this little girl comes into his life and it isn't the easiest transition for him.
Getting to read about Jason's personal growth and his adapting to being a father was just a wonderful experience. He has a long, hard, but fulfilling road ahead of him and he works so hard to provide a home for Harvey.
I think Father's Day is one of the best books I have read this year. It has really stuck with me. Perhaps because I am a parent, I found it particularly poignant and I appreciated the reminder that "perfect parents" don't exist. Kids don't need perfection, they need someone who will love them, take care of them, and accept them for who they are. I hate to go into too much detail because I want readers to open the book without any preconceived ideas or expectations. I enthusiastically recommend Father's Day to pretty much all readers and it certainly is on the list of books I am recommending to friends and family.
About Simon Van Booy
Simon Van Booy is the author of two novels and two collections of short stories, including The Secret Lives of People in Love and Love Begins in Winter, which won the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. He is the editor of three philosophy books and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, and the BBC. His work has been translated into fourteen languages. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter.Find out more about Simon at his website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
Simon’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, April 26th: BookNAround
Wednesday, April 27th: A
Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, April 27th: A
Soccer Mom’s Book Blog
Thursday, April 28th: Bibliophiliac
Friday, April 29th: Sarah
Reads Too Much
Tuesday, May 3rd: FictionZeal
Thursday, May 5th: she treads
softly
Monday, May 9th: Jen’s
Book Thoughts
Tuesday, May 10th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Wednesday, May 11th: Bibliotica
Thursday, May 12th: A Book Geek
Monday, May 16th: Novel
Escapes
Tuesday, May 17th: The many thoughts of a reader
Wednesday, May 18th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, May 19th: Ms.
Nose in a Book
Friday, May 20th: Time 2 Read
As a parent I really appreciate the reminder that kids don't need perfection, and that even if things aren't perfect they can still be GOOD.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.