From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Father's Day by Simon Van Booy

Author: Simon Van Booy
Publisher: Harper
Date of publication: April 2016

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.

Father's Day is about how family and how they aren't always traditional. It's told in two parts, the first being Harvey's childhood and her life after the tragic loss of her parents. And the present day with Harvey living in Paris and and preparing for her uncle to come visit. For me, the book was an easy read, but just ended up being OK. I never really found myself connected with the story or the characters.

Of the two story-lines, I enjoyed the past more than the present. I liked watching the developing relationship between Jason and Harvey. But, I also found the book a bit slow at times and found myself skimming parts of it. I think for me the biggest problem I had with the book was suspending dis-belief that a man like Jason would ever be granted custody of his young niece. With all that he had in his past, I don't think in reality that would ever happen today. Especially with all of the things that have been in the news about child welfare lately. Having that in the back of my mind kind of ruined to story for me. But that's on me. I did like the ending reveal and was very touched by it.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I did like his writing style and I will have to seek out his earlier works. I have heard good things about them.

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