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Beyond John Dann
A humorous and heartbreaking family story, that will challenge your mind, and change your heart.
Editorial Review: Set in Hayward, Connecticut, and beginning in the 1970s, John Dann tells his coming-of-age story from the vantage point of an adult who has survived a tumultuos upbringing. A story of survival, the novel is coupled with compassion, forgiveness, and humor. Thought-provoking, inspirational, often heart-wrenching, and written with pristine clarity, "Beyond John Dann" will stay with you long after you've read it. --The Resident
Editorial Review: Set in Hayward, Connecticut, and beginning in the 1970s, John Dann tells his coming-of-age story from the vantage point of an adult who has survived a tumultuos upbringing. A story of survival, the novel is coupled with compassion, forgiveness, and humor. Thought-provoking, inspirational, often heart-wrenching, and written with pristine clarity, "Beyond John Dann" will stay with you long after you've read it. --The Resident
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2012
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 4, 2013
It is so difficult, sometimes, to do a book justice with a review. Whatever words I find to express how much I loved this book, and why, I know my words will be left wanting. Beyond John Dann is a remarkable achievement by this talented new author, Thurman P. Banks Jr. I can’t think of any other novel I’ve read where the narrator’s voice is so convincing that I had to remind myself I was reading a fictional work. The author has imagined this story in such depth, knows his characters so well, I feel I have met John Dann and his family, personally, and walked John’s journey alongside him.
This coming-of-age novel begins with a heart-breaking childhood, and follows John Dann through the ups and downs and emotional turmoil of growing up and searching for love. John is the last child of a mother who is wholly lacking in maternal instinct, and a father who cannot control his rages. Though his father never lays a hand on him, John is witness to the regular beatings his mother and older sisters’ receive. It was incredibly moving to see the older two sisters bear the brunt, often putting themselves forward for punishment to protect the younger ones.
At the heart of this story is the lasting and intense loyalty, love, and solidarity between these siblings; their bonds are forged in the painful fires of childhood, and are unbreakable. As John stumbles into adulthood, struggling to cope with the pains of love and loss, those sisters have moved on to lives of their own and John has to learn to fend for himself. There are times he almost doesn’t make it, but those sisters are always there, somewhere, ready to pick him up and help him back on his feet. Though their childhood is so lacking in love and care, these siblings are able to provide that for each other.
Despite the cruelties and neglect of his childhood, John’s capacity for forgiveness and compassion is boundless. Few feel able to forgive so much, or feel compassion for those who so badly betray. Through the character of John Dann, the author shows us that it is possible. John learns to accept his parents’ failings and goes on loving them, despite it all.
This book brims over with beautiful lines. I found myself bookmarking pages because I wanted to read them again and again. There are wise and witty observations of life, and philosophical words of inspiration, all through the extraordinary voice of the self-effacing and loveable character that is John Dann. It is a novel that is breath-taking in all that it encompasses; love, loss, loyalty, solidarity, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, hope, humanity and survival.
I highly recommend Beyond John Dann. Go read it, you will love it.
This coming-of-age novel begins with a heart-breaking childhood, and follows John Dann through the ups and downs and emotional turmoil of growing up and searching for love. John is the last child of a mother who is wholly lacking in maternal instinct, and a father who cannot control his rages. Though his father never lays a hand on him, John is witness to the regular beatings his mother and older sisters’ receive. It was incredibly moving to see the older two sisters bear the brunt, often putting themselves forward for punishment to protect the younger ones.
At the heart of this story is the lasting and intense loyalty, love, and solidarity between these siblings; their bonds are forged in the painful fires of childhood, and are unbreakable. As John stumbles into adulthood, struggling to cope with the pains of love and loss, those sisters have moved on to lives of their own and John has to learn to fend for himself. There are times he almost doesn’t make it, but those sisters are always there, somewhere, ready to pick him up and help him back on his feet. Though their childhood is so lacking in love and care, these siblings are able to provide that for each other.
Despite the cruelties and neglect of his childhood, John’s capacity for forgiveness and compassion is boundless. Few feel able to forgive so much, or feel compassion for those who so badly betray. Through the character of John Dann, the author shows us that it is possible. John learns to accept his parents’ failings and goes on loving them, despite it all.
This book brims over with beautiful lines. I found myself bookmarking pages because I wanted to read them again and again. There are wise and witty observations of life, and philosophical words of inspiration, all through the extraordinary voice of the self-effacing and loveable character that is John Dann. It is a novel that is breath-taking in all that it encompasses; love, loss, loyalty, solidarity, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, hope, humanity and survival.
I highly recommend Beyond John Dann. Go read it, you will love it.
December 18, 2012
I was so drawn to the story that it felt like I wrote it
myself ;)
myself ;)
February 1, 2013
If you were born in the 70's, you need to read this - that is definitely the target audience for this story. So many memories have come flooding back to me - even ones that I don't care to remember - but quite honestly, I'm simply ecstatic over the fact that I am able to recall so much. Remember when having HBO was a social status? My family was very poor and boy let me tell you, when my single mother was able to shave our budget enough to get the HBO I had been begging for, it was HUGE! Even the dialogue of the times brought me back - like how if you were headed to a friend's house, you would say, "I'm goin over John's house" instead of "I'm going over to John's house". I recalled the joy of going everywhere on my bike. Our parents never knew exactly where we were but all of us neighborhood kids were always somewhere together so, they weren't worried because they knew we'd be home before the streetlights came on. I remember spending lots of time at local bars BEFORE I was 21, because it wasn't nearly as big of a deal then to the hometown establishments. Most of all, I am relieved after reading "Beyond John Dann" because I realize that my family is not the only one who puts the FUNC in dysfunctional.
This is an amazing tale that isn't about anyone famous or extraordinary - they are real people with depth and imperfections and it is so easy to substitute yourself into the story because it seems so familiar throughout the entire telling. There are no heroes, only realistic and imperfect people living their day to day lives, narrated by thought provoking and beautiful writing. One of my favorite passages in the story is when John is describing the death of Maggie and how her eyes looked when she settled them on him before taking her last breath. It went: "It was heaven, and it was hell. It was everything, and it was nothing. It was the infinite magnitude of the stars, and the infinitesimal seeds of life unseen. In all that is considered good or bad, from beginning to end, from the end to the beginning, her eyes held it all."
You will laugh, you will cry, you will remember. You will love "Beyond John Dann".
This is an amazing tale that isn't about anyone famous or extraordinary - they are real people with depth and imperfections and it is so easy to substitute yourself into the story because it seems so familiar throughout the entire telling. There are no heroes, only realistic and imperfect people living their day to day lives, narrated by thought provoking and beautiful writing. One of my favorite passages in the story is when John is describing the death of Maggie and how her eyes looked when she settled them on him before taking her last breath. It went: "It was heaven, and it was hell. It was everything, and it was nothing. It was the infinite magnitude of the stars, and the infinitesimal seeds of life unseen. In all that is considered good or bad, from beginning to end, from the end to the beginning, her eyes held it all."
You will laugh, you will cry, you will remember. You will love "Beyond John Dann".
August 24, 2013
Well first off, I need to state that am I in no way a writer. And my selection of words are not always the best. So please don't get too critical of this review. On that note, I have read Beyond John Dann front to back, at least three times this year. Every time I explore the book, I find some new memory in the back of my mind being lit up like a firecracker on the Fourth of July. Knowing the Author personally makes the book easy to decipher characters, times, places, and events that I can so closely relate to. The book, in my opinion is easily in the group of masterpieces that could be translated to film in the future. It is one of those pieces that relates in many ways to Stand By Me, or Mud. A coming of age story with twists and turns that everyone can relate to. The most profound part of the book to me is where the author mentions his old baseball coach and a quote that is easily identifiable to myself. A tribute to a great man from a great man. Rating this book was the easiest thing I've had to do in a long time. It's a story that I will pass on to my son to read when he is a little older, after similar memories of his own are made. As I stated before, I know the author. But let there be no mistake...had someone handed this book to me and asked me to read it, and I had never met the author before, the review would be the same. This is a story that all people can enjoy, and I look forward to his next work with much anticipation.
May 6, 2013
This book!
I picked up a copy at the Monte Cristo book shop in New London, CT, mostly because of the cover, but the owner of the book store told me it was amazing—and sad. It is both of those things, and more.
Beyond John Dann is the story of a man who grows up in familial turmoil. While his father and mother never raise a hand to him, he watches his father beat his sisters and his mother abandon them completely. Life throws tragedy after tragedy at him, and he struggles to keep his head afloat while trying to figure out who he is despite his trials and his own trespasses.
This book is a literary masterpiece. Teeming with beautiful lines, eloquent observations of life, and gorgeous descriptions of Connecticut, Beyond John Dann is a must read. For every tear it made me shed, it made me laugh at least twice. I felt everything the main character felt, and paralleled it to my own love of my family.
The only thing about the book I didn't like were the various typos and grammatical errors throughout, which often distracted me, but did not detract from the story itself.
I am proud to add Beyond John Dann to my shelves, and look forward to further work from Thurman P. Banks, Jr.
I picked up a copy at the Monte Cristo book shop in New London, CT, mostly because of the cover, but the owner of the book store told me it was amazing—and sad. It is both of those things, and more.
Beyond John Dann is the story of a man who grows up in familial turmoil. While his father and mother never raise a hand to him, he watches his father beat his sisters and his mother abandon them completely. Life throws tragedy after tragedy at him, and he struggles to keep his head afloat while trying to figure out who he is despite his trials and his own trespasses.
This book is a literary masterpiece. Teeming with beautiful lines, eloquent observations of life, and gorgeous descriptions of Connecticut, Beyond John Dann is a must read. For every tear it made me shed, it made me laugh at least twice. I felt everything the main character felt, and paralleled it to my own love of my family.
The only thing about the book I didn't like were the various typos and grammatical errors throughout, which often distracted me, but did not detract from the story itself.
I am proud to add Beyond John Dann to my shelves, and look forward to further work from Thurman P. Banks, Jr.
January 3, 2014
I was interested in reading this book after reading other reviews. It did not disappoint. I found it engaged me more as a character analysis and observation's of the authors own thoughts and reactions to his chaotic childhood rather than a plot that arose anticipation. Despite this, it kept me sufficiently engaged and was well enough written that I wished to keep turning the page. What shone through was the authors sense of humour and some of his sayings and descriptions of life and events made me laugh out loud. Battling observing the physical abuse of his 4 sisters, whilst holding the coveted sibling position in his family of "male" and growing up in the midst of alcoholism the author reflects on his childhood and adolescent years into adulthood with raw honesty. For those who have self insight themselves and love reading it in others and who enjoy being an acute watcher of people - you will enjoy this book. Beautifully written.
August 22, 2014
I loved this book and could not put it down. Thank you Thurman for writing this book and keeping those we have lost always alive in our hearts.
September 7, 2016
Beyond expectations! Saw an old friend raving about this book on FB and gave it a try. I didn't know what to expect, but was incredibly suprised with what I got. It was an incredible story! I read during every free moment I had over the course of two days. I laughed with John, cried with him and his sisters. I was so inspired at the end of this book! I can't describe just how happy I am to have found it. Next I am going to give it to my son to read, right after I have read it again!
August 25, 2013
If your a child of the 70's/80's eras, this is a must read! This was an easy read that had me wanting more. For the first time in a long time I could visualize every scene. Found myself laughing and overwhelmed with emotions at the same time. New englanders beware, you'll love this one! Can't wait for this authors next one!!!
June 10, 2013
This is a must read. It is a well thought-out and written story line dealing with the issues of a boy becoming a man. The author has fully invested his heart and soul into the book, and it is evident in the personal experiences that is shared to the reader.
Live Laugh Love
Live Laugh Love
August 31, 2013
I checked out this book on a Saturday and couldn't put it down till it was done on the following Tuesday. It had twist and turns and had me wondering what was going to happen next. Makes you want to hug your family tighter!
October 2, 2013
It was sweet and compelling. I loved it!
February 28, 2013
I couldn't put it down. I laughed and cried and cheered on each character. It is beautifully written.
October 5, 2013
I highly recommend this book! Best book I have ever read! Very well written!
March 17, 2013
The story was engrossing, moving and well-told. Kept me hooked. Loved it!
July 31, 2014
The author pulled no punches in his honest portrayal of the dysfunction that constitutes everyday life behind closed doors. He quite clearly portrayed the pain, denial and eventual acceptance of abuse through the eyes of a child who ultimately grows to manhood. The rescuer in me wanted to scoop up John Dann and his sisters and spirit them away to normalcy, but such an action would’ve thwarted the point and purpose of the book. The author wove this tale of woe with bright points and humor interspersed for comic relief, to illustrate the indomitability of the human spirit and the colossal strength to be gained from ties that bind even the most dysfunctional of families. The story is by turns heartbreaking and heartwarming and well worth the read. I’m still pulling for John Dann, and betting he turned out better than okay.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews