Out of Sons

by Alec P. Maly

"We need to talk."James Weston's life is turned upside down when his long-distance girlfriend suddenly breaks up with him. With only a year to go before college graduation, his plans for their marriage and future family together are shattered. Facing a miserable summer behind a computer screen, James realizes he's willing to do anything to get her back, including stealing his dad's truck to drive across the country with his younger brother, Matt.James and Matt trek across America as they grapple with their faith in God, run from their family's wounded past and constantly trip over their own stupidity. A journey of brotherhood, sonship and reconciliation, "Out of Sons" will strap you in the truck for a captivating and hilarious ride to the most terrifying destination of a woman.

273 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2024

Reviews

[Danielle Caine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Wished I could spend more time with the characters. Catholic themes throughout the book, but didn’t come off as preachy.
I enjoyed the journey the characters went through trying to find purpose and meaning in their lives and deal with their family’s past.

[abigail d · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, & you’ll wish you were in Kansas!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the recommendation of my roommate Austin (who heard about it directly from the horses mouth when the author went on one of the catholic podcasts that he was a fan of).

I will admit that when I first started this book I was skeptical about how "catholic" it was going to be. The plot follows two brothers who steal their dad's truck to drive across the country to try and get the older brother's girlfriend back (and also because of some serious, yet unrecognized ennui). The older brother James, sometimes goes to church, but isn't a serious church-goer, and the younger brother, Matt, is almost atheist in his disdain for the church. Their dad is divorced and remarried to the woman that he cheated on his wife with. A pretty dismal picture, and I half-expected the protagonists "finding of God" to coincide with the success of their mission.

Of course Alec P. Maly is a bit more Catholic than. We live in a broken world, and it is out of God's power (and potentially not in our interest) to change that fact. Contentment and acceptance come from healing and reconciliation, not rewriting the past. Things don't work out how the brother's expect, but they do heal their ennui, find community, and in an elegant parallel to the parable of the prodigal son, forgive their dad.

This is certainly not a perfect book however. I found the writing style to be cringey at many points, often when Maly is trying to craft a pithy metaphor. Much of the plot is superfluous and unbelievable with characters who are little more than cardboard cutouts: this is a great description of the detour to Nashville and the characters described therein. I also found the author's portrayal of women a little strange: as little more than objects for the attention of male characters. This may be a deliberate choice and explain why James is so blindsided by the initial breakup.

[Ann M. O’Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of Sons had many characters I recognized from my own life — James, rooting his identity too much in his relationship; Matt, neither atheist nor agnostic or Christian, just frustrated; the reverent yet irreverent priest. As a debut novel, this book blew me away. There were times I found myself wishing I could sit longer with the characters. The quick time line was an essential aspect of the story and could only have been avoided if they hadn’t stolen their father’s truck. But if they hadn’t been on a timeline, I would’ve loved to spend more time with the brothers on their various adventures on the way to Colorado.

I heard about this book through the Catching Foxes podcast and recommended it to my book club!

[Philip Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read with Catholic faith woven in.