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The Lies That Bind
What defines fatherhood -- blood, legal obligation, or love? This exquisite novel about the complicated ties and ambiguities that irrevocably bind us to one another introduces an extrarodinary new talent in contemporary fiction. Business executive Peter Morrison and his ex-wife, Joan, an artist, were never right for each other. When their marriage fails after eight years, Pete settles into the routine of court-sanctioned visits with his young son, Sam, a boy who has few physical similarities or common interest with Pete. When he discovers that Sam is not his biological son, Pete confronts Joan with the test results. She strikes back, cutting off visitations rights to keep Sam from finding out the truth. Suddenly Pete finds himself without a son -- and without a father's legal right to get the boy back. Desperate for a solution and spurred on by an ambitious lawyer, Pete brings a lawsuit that breaks new legal ground in defining what a father is. Overnight, the private war over Sam's custody becomes frontpage news -- and the very public trial forces Pete and Joan to face the truth about their marriage, and the lies that bind them both to Sam.
- GenresFiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2000
3 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 18, 2019
Boooooooriiiiiing
December 7, 2007
I finished this audio book by Edward De Angelo early in 2007. This is a perfect title for this sad, frustrating, and realistic tale. It reads exactly like it could have happened, and you believe that it is happening. The story centers about the son, Sam, who seems to be quite different from his father, Peter. The story is realistic ,especially in todays society were the Father is automatically the goat, and the Mother gets the kids, the house, the money, and controls all visits. Although this book has a significant twist when Peter has a paternity test done and then realizes just how much he loves Sam no matter what.
May 27, 2011
What makes a person your parent? How much that ties us to another human being is genes and blood? How much is nuturing and love? I liked Edward DeAngelo's heartfelt approach to these questions.
October 13, 2024
I had mixed feelings about The Lies That Bind.
This is a book about a man who thinks the boy he has been raising is his son. But he has doubts, because he doesn’t find many traits, physical, mental, or emotional, that he can identify that he and the boy share. He begins to worry that his son is not his son. So, one time when he has to take the boy to the doctor for something, he arranges to have DNA tests done on both of them, and sure enough, it turns out that the boy is not his son.
By this time, he and his wife have already been divorced for several years. It’s pretty obvious even from the little we are told about them, that they were never a very good match to begin with. But what’s the main character, Peter, to do when he discovers that the boy he has been supporting all these years, and who he loves as if he is his own son anyway, isn’t actually his biological son?
The first thing he does is really dumb; he confronts his wife with what he has learned and physically attacks her, although I think he doesn’t hurt her much. He does scare her though, and she gets a restraining order and has his visitation rights cut off.
A friend suggests he should talk to a lawyer, so he does. But since he is not the boy’s parent, he has no parental rights to enforce. The only legal recourse he has is to sue for the return of all the child support he has been generously paying over the years. This doesn’t really solve his problem, though.
My mixed feelings come from sympathy for Peter at having lost his son. But I feel that many of his actions make the situation worse. He seems much too invested in the idea of the perfect family that he has constructed in his mind, and is a bit overly aggressive in trying to make his wife and son fit into it, whether they do or not. At one point his wife says that she divorced him (this was years before the DNA test) because he was trying to treat her as if he owned her. At first, I didn’t see it, but later it became clear that this did seem to be the case.
Mercifully, Peter is finally able to grow emotionally enough to be able to allow his ex-wife and son to be who they are. He drops the lawsuit before it has reached whatever conclusion it was heading for. He also finds another girlfriend, which may be the most helpful thing for him. And they all manage to find a less formal way of getting along.
It’s an interesting study of a problem which, while not the most common issue among parents and children, is probably a factor in many people’s lives (even absent the DNA tests), and is one which does not readily admit of easy solutions.
This is a book about a man who thinks the boy he has been raising is his son. But he has doubts, because he doesn’t find many traits, physical, mental, or emotional, that he can identify that he and the boy share. He begins to worry that his son is not his son. So, one time when he has to take the boy to the doctor for something, he arranges to have DNA tests done on both of them, and sure enough, it turns out that the boy is not his son.
By this time, he and his wife have already been divorced for several years. It’s pretty obvious even from the little we are told about them, that they were never a very good match to begin with. But what’s the main character, Peter, to do when he discovers that the boy he has been supporting all these years, and who he loves as if he is his own son anyway, isn’t actually his biological son?
The first thing he does is really dumb; he confronts his wife with what he has learned and physically attacks her, although I think he doesn’t hurt her much. He does scare her though, and she gets a restraining order and has his visitation rights cut off.
A friend suggests he should talk to a lawyer, so he does. But since he is not the boy’s parent, he has no parental rights to enforce. The only legal recourse he has is to sue for the return of all the child support he has been generously paying over the years. This doesn’t really solve his problem, though.
My mixed feelings come from sympathy for Peter at having lost his son. But I feel that many of his actions make the situation worse. He seems much too invested in the idea of the perfect family that he has constructed in his mind, and is a bit overly aggressive in trying to make his wife and son fit into it, whether they do or not. At one point his wife says that she divorced him (this was years before the DNA test) because he was trying to treat her as if he owned her. At first, I didn’t see it, but later it became clear that this did seem to be the case.
Mercifully, Peter is finally able to grow emotionally enough to be able to allow his ex-wife and son to be who they are. He drops the lawsuit before it has reached whatever conclusion it was heading for. He also finds another girlfriend, which may be the most helpful thing for him. And they all manage to find a less formal way of getting along.
It’s an interesting study of a problem which, while not the most common issue among parents and children, is probably a factor in many people’s lives (even absent the DNA tests), and is one which does not readily admit of easy solutions.
October 27, 2024
Loved this book and the way the author provided depth through the characters. I was emotionally invested the whole time and the ending was realistic but still good. There were some valuable lessons here too, my favorite one being that pain deferred is pain multiplied.
July 7, 2014
The story lined dragged in places for me, seemed weighted down by extra.... something. Overstuffed with little details that didn't seem to affect the overall storyline. But it was an enjoyable read for the most part. I wasn't overly attached to any character and I wasn't even hoping for a happy ending. I just know that the ex-wife was completely unrelatable to me and I was hoping for that "conversation on the sidewalk...*BAM* bus!" type scenario to play out, as that woman worries me that people like her could exist. And it wasn't her hiding the truth of Sam not being Peter's. But the unstable way she handled EVERYTHING. I have never known someone to be that irrational about everything single little thing in my life. But I guess with her being so out of touch with reality.. there would have been no book or a very different one. So it is what it is.
August 2, 2011
I picked up this book by accident at a book sale thinking it was another book that I was looking for thus it sat on my "to-read" shelf for over a year. What a mistake! It was a very good book with down-to-earth characters especially the main character, Pete. I became emotional involved in the story about fathers and sons, love, and obligation. Very well written and I would most certainly read another novel by Deangelo!
July 10, 2008
What happens to a man who is obsessed with the truth, and how it changes his life -- not necessarily for the better or for the worse, just changed -- some positive things happen, and some negative things happen. I was impressed with the dialog and characterizations (and the author is a friend of mine, so I have to say that I am probably biased towards liking it).
March 1, 2009
The concept of this book was interesting - a man and woman are married, have a kid, and get divorced. After a amicable divorce and joint custody for many years, the man finds out the kid isn't his. The man still considers him to be his son, but legally does he have any right to this boy after thirteen years of being his father?
February 12, 2013
By page 91, I knew I hated this book. It was too late to turn back, though. It was a bad mystery novel combined with a horrible harlequin novel. I read it in two days, but not because it captured me. I just wanted it to end. It is the first book I have disliked enough to want to throw it in the garbage can. (I won't, just back to the thrift store.)
Do not read this book.
Do not read this book.
July 7, 2010
This was a great book, I had a hard time putting it down. I was pulled into the story immediately and was anxious to find out the outcome. Great debut novel, wouldn't mind reading more from this author.
June 13, 2007
Sweet, but heartwrenching at the same time. A fast-paced, good read.
November 13, 2013
It was an interesting read, with the motivations and actions of the characters seeming logical and well-written. The characters were intriguing and pulled you into the story. I quite liked it.
December 9, 2010
Life is not all ways as it appears, trust your gut.Love never fails.
May 11, 2012
het gezicht van mijn zoon ....
February 26, 2016
ONe of those books that you are so sad to see end. I just loved it!!!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews