I Am the Lion

by Andrew Toy

Lydia and her widowed, bipolar father struggle to find common ground in the wake of her mother's untimely death. Only when Lydia’s fourth-grade teacher steps into their lives do they slowly build a connection, but that bond is threatened when a secret comes out that threatens to scar Lydia for the rest of her life.

118 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2014

About the author

Author of The Man in the Box, Andrew Toy lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and dachshunds. If he's not reading, he's writing, and if he's not writing, he's eating pizza, and if he's not eating pizza, he's eating Mexican food, and if he's not eating, he's reading...

Reviews

[Sally Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling life story

I was immediately drawn into the story of an unloving father and his daughter. How could he be so unkind to her in the midst of such tragedy and loss?
The unfolding story with so many unexpected twists kept me from putting the book down.
Mystery, intrigue, redemption.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully painful story of ordinary people enduring a great loss. Stories like this need to be told and talked about so we can learn how to be there and support people through their pain. As a society we learned to ignore pain. However, pain is something we must face. I wish I had a Mr. Hill when I lost my father at a young age, and hope I have the courage he did to support this father and daughter through their loss if ever I have the opportunity to support someone through theirs. It's a nice story. Not too heavy, and I never would have guessed the big secret. I got through the book quickly. A few minor typos.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book - I enjoyed the story and read it over a two day period. I was intrigued with Lydia, the main character, in the story and my heart ached for her. I found the father's behaviour very strange, and I wondered whether the school teacher's involvement was realistic. It is an interesting story, and it was especially interesting to me as I had a recent death in my family where young children were involved closely in the loss. I felt that the author seemed to really understand the extreme loss that children can and often do feel, and the loneliness that this loss causes in their lives. The book has a surprise ending which made me smile.

[Barbie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating and Real

I gave this book five stars because I was immediately drawn into the lives and pain of each character. Andrew is truly a storyteller.