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The Tank Man's Son: A Memoir
In the tradition of The Glass Castle and Angela’s Ashes comes the most unforgettable memoir you’ll read this year!
“ What did it mean to be the Tank Man’s son? To grow up overwhelmed by my father’s presence and personality? It was as if I didn’t exist, as if I was just something else for my father to crush.”
So begins the haunting memoir of Mark Bouman as he recounts the events of his childhood at the hands of his larger-than-life, Neo-Nazi father in brilliant, startling detail. From adventure-filled days complete with real-life war games, artillery fire, and tank races to terror-filled nights marked by vicious tirades, brutal beatings, and psychological torture, Mark paints a chilling portrait of family life that is at once whimsical and horrific―all building to a shocking climax that challenges even the broadest boundaries of love and forgiveness.
An epic tale of redemption and reconciliation, The Tank Man’s Son is a literary tour de force that is sure to become an instant classic.
“ What did it mean to be the Tank Man’s son? To grow up overwhelmed by my father’s presence and personality? It was as if I didn’t exist, as if I was just something else for my father to crush.”
So begins the haunting memoir of Mark Bouman as he recounts the events of his childhood at the hands of his larger-than-life, Neo-Nazi father in brilliant, startling detail. From adventure-filled days complete with real-life war games, artillery fire, and tank races to terror-filled nights marked by vicious tirades, brutal beatings, and psychological torture, Mark paints a chilling portrait of family life that is at once whimsical and horrific―all building to a shocking climax that challenges even the broadest boundaries of love and forgiveness.
An epic tale of redemption and reconciliation, The Tank Man’s Son is a literary tour de force that is sure to become an instant classic.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 18, 2015
21 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Mark Bouman
3 books11 followersMark Bouman and his family served as missionaries to Cambodia for more than 20 years. Mark, his wife Joan, and their two sons, Andrew and Nik, currently reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
October 7, 2015
I grew up knowing the "Tank Man" and his second wife, Ann. My family, the Dietzes, were the next door neighbors mentioned in the book. I was just 5 years old when Mark moved away with his mother so my memories of him are those I've heard through my family. I was excited reading the book and Mark covered many stories I heard from my family over the years, particularly those relating to the tank and the ship. Knowing the people, the land and the homes where I grew up, I was able to picture so many things in real life. I used to play outside and get the sand burrs stuck all over my clothing as well. I walked the driveway that was covered in battery cases (little did I know) and I remember the house, small and in need of much repair.
I have come to love the "Tank Man" as an extended member of my family and had decided before reading that I would not let my feelings for him be overruled by anything negative he has in his past. Mark not only helped me learn more things about his family that I did not know, but I have more respect for him and his father than before I started reading. Forgiveness and understanding are so important and Mark has given that to his father as a gift by writing this book. He had an exciting and terrifying childhood but understands that it helped him to become the person that he is today and may have even been his saving grace when in the face of true danger.
Tank Man was able to listen to the hard truth about his son's childhood and do so with grace and apologetically. I have never known Tank Man as his son did but I do know that people change, particularly as they get older and start to understand life and themselves more. I can assure you that Tank Man is nothing like the man he was years ago.
While some may be offended by the religious turn the story took, I know that it is true and not just words on a page. God helped this family in so many ways during the good and the bad times. What a truly beautiful story.
I have come to love the "Tank Man" as an extended member of my family and had decided before reading that I would not let my feelings for him be overruled by anything negative he has in his past. Mark not only helped me learn more things about his family that I did not know, but I have more respect for him and his father than before I started reading. Forgiveness and understanding are so important and Mark has given that to his father as a gift by writing this book. He had an exciting and terrifying childhood but understands that it helped him to become the person that he is today and may have even been his saving grace when in the face of true danger.
Tank Man was able to listen to the hard truth about his son's childhood and do so with grace and apologetically. I have never known Tank Man as his son did but I do know that people change, particularly as they get older and start to understand life and themselves more. I can assure you that Tank Man is nothing like the man he was years ago.
While some may be offended by the religious turn the story took, I know that it is true and not just words on a page. God helped this family in so many ways during the good and the bad times. What a truly beautiful story.
July 2, 2015
If you have lived under an angry father, this may be a hard memoir to read. The author does a great job of describing the violence, the beatings, etc. It was hard for me to read as it brought up emotions from childhood. So I would have a bit of caution there, to read it only if you know you can without reliving a painful childhood. There is a redeeming aspect to the book in that it shows how God takes the painful past and creates something good out of it.
You can see my complete review at http://bit.ly/1GP9YGo.
I received a complimentary egalley of the book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
You can see my complete review at http://bit.ly/1GP9YGo.
I received a complimentary egalley of the book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
June 14, 2016
I just finished "reading" this audio book. It was excellent! I highly recommend it! The description of this book said that "Mark paints a chilling portrait of family life that is at once whimsical and horrific..." That just didn't seem possible to me. It almost sounded oximoronic! But somehow he managed it. The whimsical qualities made the horrific bearable. In the end he compares his life to the life of Joseph. "You meant it for evil but God meant it for good." God can bring good out of the situations in life that seem most hopeless.
Don't miss out on this book. The audio version is the free book of the month THIS month, June, 2016, on ChristianAudio.com.
Don't miss out on this book. The audio version is the free book of the month THIS month, June, 2016, on ChristianAudio.com.
May 14, 2018
I've written before about books that were so wonderful that I'd never forget them. Months later, thinking to buy a book, I'd look to see if I'd ever read it, or if I had, what it was about. (I always catalog my finished books on Goodreads). Then I'd be disappointed to see it was one I said I'd never forget. :(
Well, I've no doubt this will never be the case with this book.
1. Even the title - it's unforgettable. I mean something like "On Prairie Hill" or "It Happened Yesterday" are so ordinary sounding that I'd forget a book with those titles. (I seriously have no idea if those are real books, but no offense intended if they are). But "The Tank Man's Son" makes you wonder what on earth the tank was about, or what is a tank man?
2. The four main characters are simply unforgettable.
- Mark is the narrator, and is the most abused.
- Mom wants to be strong, but she can't protect herself let alone the children, even though she tries.
- Jerry, the brother and best friend, is also abused, but not as much as Mark and is sympathetic to Mark's plight.
- And Dad, the tank man, - well, he's the man who buys whatever strikes his fancy, including a huge war tank, even though their family goes without new clothes and home or yard repairs. (Actually there are five in the family, but you don't read nearly as much about the little sister)
3. The story is unlike any other I've read. Oh there have been books about abuse, there have been books about children rising above their upbringing or circumstances, there have been books about family struggles or near poverty. But I can assure you, none of them are like this book.
4. The outcome - without giving much away, Mark is abused, friendless, lonely and hurting inside and out, but what comes out of it is a joy he could never have imagined.
5. And the best is...it's a true story
The tank man is a conundrum. He can be fun, he can be inventive, he can be unbelievably knowledgeable about so very many things, but he's also an overwhelming task master, and disciplinarian unlike anyone I'd ever want to come across. Actually, discipline suggests the intent of behavioral instruction, but this is not the case with Dad. His is more like pent up rage expressing itself on a child with no true intent other than one's personal (and sick) satisfaction.
Normally I have a hard time reading about children being hurt, and I avoid books like that. But, because I KNEW it was a Christian fiction book, I felt assured it was not all bad news. That God would somehow be a part of Mark's future, that all was not futile. Plus all the fun and adventure that happened in between the hardships kept me waiting to see what his dad would do next.
The Tank Man's Son was hard at times, fun at times, sweet, and can bring you to tears in a good way, but soooooooooo worth the read.
So far a 2017 favorite for me.
Well, I've no doubt this will never be the case with this book.
1. Even the title - it's unforgettable. I mean something like "On Prairie Hill" or "It Happened Yesterday" are so ordinary sounding that I'd forget a book with those titles. (I seriously have no idea if those are real books, but no offense intended if they are). But "The Tank Man's Son" makes you wonder what on earth the tank was about, or what is a tank man?
2. The four main characters are simply unforgettable.
- Mark is the narrator, and is the most abused.
- Mom wants to be strong, but she can't protect herself let alone the children, even though she tries.
- Jerry, the brother and best friend, is also abused, but not as much as Mark and is sympathetic to Mark's plight.
- And Dad, the tank man, - well, he's the man who buys whatever strikes his fancy, including a huge war tank, even though their family goes without new clothes and home or yard repairs. (Actually there are five in the family, but you don't read nearly as much about the little sister)
3. The story is unlike any other I've read. Oh there have been books about abuse, there have been books about children rising above their upbringing or circumstances, there have been books about family struggles or near poverty. But I can assure you, none of them are like this book.
4. The outcome - without giving much away, Mark is abused, friendless, lonely and hurting inside and out, but what comes out of it is a joy he could never have imagined.
5. And the best is...it's a true story
The tank man is a conundrum. He can be fun, he can be inventive, he can be unbelievably knowledgeable about so very many things, but he's also an overwhelming task master, and disciplinarian unlike anyone I'd ever want to come across. Actually, discipline suggests the intent of behavioral instruction, but this is not the case with Dad. His is more like pent up rage expressing itself on a child with no true intent other than one's personal (and sick) satisfaction.
Normally I have a hard time reading about children being hurt, and I avoid books like that. But, because I KNEW it was a Christian fiction book, I felt assured it was not all bad news. That God would somehow be a part of Mark's future, that all was not futile. Plus all the fun and adventure that happened in between the hardships kept me waiting to see what his dad would do next.
The Tank Man's Son was hard at times, fun at times, sweet, and can bring you to tears in a good way, but soooooooooo worth the read.
So far a 2017 favorite for me.
June 30, 2015
4 stars for the first 85% of this book; 1 star for the remaining 15%.
"My past imprisoned me more completely than anything physical ever could. I carried my cell everywhere I walked, and when I spoke, I struggled to make myself heard through the bars." A heartbreaking passage very beautifully written.
The author had me until the 85% point and then he found God and through God his entire life turned around. Barf. I call bullshit on the bait and switch of this book. If I had been aware that the author's being "saved" was going to be the big climax, I wouldn't have wasted my time on the first 85%. The last 15% is so poorly written and overwrought and uses the word God in every other sentence, again barf.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have passed on this one. Can't recommend.
ARC from publisher.
"My past imprisoned me more completely than anything physical ever could. I carried my cell everywhere I walked, and when I spoke, I struggled to make myself heard through the bars." A heartbreaking passage very beautifully written.
The author had me until the 85% point and then he found God and through God his entire life turned around. Barf. I call bullshit on the bait and switch of this book. If I had been aware that the author's being "saved" was going to be the big climax, I wouldn't have wasted my time on the first 85%. The last 15% is so poorly written and overwrought and uses the word God in every other sentence, again barf.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have passed on this one. Can't recommend.
ARC from publisher.
February 6, 2024
Mark’s childhood was full of wild happenings, and if he came to school telling me stories of what he did on the weekend, I’d never have believed him. His family lived on a boat on Lake Michigan for a summer, and his dad taught him to scuba dive. When the neighbor’s yard caught fire, his dad didn’t bother to call the fire company because he knew his tank could grind the fire to a halt much faster. The tank came to the rescue again when the school bus got stuck in the ditch on an icy morning.
His father also studied German, admired the Nazis, and collected illegal weapons. He hosted mock battles on his property and bought and fixed completely unnecessary items, like the tank, while their house was not yet finished. He dumped trash over his boy’s heads because they forgot to take it out. One night, they washed dishes until 3 am because he deemed the supper dishes unclean. Mark and his brother were very familiar with guns and adventure and the feel of their dad’s belt, but they didn’t know love.
Then, in the Air Force, Mark met Jesus and found love. Church became his place, and eventually he married Joan. God called them to work in Cambodia, and they became the directors of an orphanage with 130 children, in the middle of a war zone, and it was at that point that Mark realized the trauma of his childhood had prepared him for this. “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.”
And you know the really cool part?
I know Mark in real life. He goes to my church, and last year, he built a floating school in the middle of a massive lake. He and Joan have been here nearly thirty years, and God is still at work, turning evil into good and doing miracles for his children.
His father also studied German, admired the Nazis, and collected illegal weapons. He hosted mock battles on his property and bought and fixed completely unnecessary items, like the tank, while their house was not yet finished. He dumped trash over his boy’s heads because they forgot to take it out. One night, they washed dishes until 3 am because he deemed the supper dishes unclean. Mark and his brother were very familiar with guns and adventure and the feel of their dad’s belt, but they didn’t know love.
Then, in the Air Force, Mark met Jesus and found love. Church became his place, and eventually he married Joan. God called them to work in Cambodia, and they became the directors of an orphanage with 130 children, in the middle of a war zone, and it was at that point that Mark realized the trauma of his childhood had prepared him for this. “What you meant for evil, God meant for good.”
And you know the really cool part?
I know Mark in real life. He goes to my church, and last year, he built a floating school in the middle of a massive lake. He and Joan have been here nearly thirty years, and God is still at work, turning evil into good and doing miracles for his children.
June 29, 2015
"The Tank Man's Son" by Mark Bouman is a powerful book on the authors horrific childhood and how God used it for good. This is the first book I have read in my life that had a warning about foul language from a Christian Publisher. This may make some stop and not read it but I know that if we are going to tell our story about life before Christ sometimes we have to use that language when showing what others have done and said to you otherwise I consider it a partial lie and you need to be truthful on how things were. The author's childhood at points did seem like a kids dream (tanks, ware games, and free outdoor play) but overall it was a child's nightmare growing up with an extremely abusive neo-nazi dad. The physical abusive that the author went thru just broke my heart reading it but I did not stop reading as I could barely put the book down as I wanted to know how God was going to use this for His glory. The author could have wrote the book in way that would tear his dad to shreds with words. But he didn't he wrote the facts in a way that showed his pain but also how every child does looks up to their father at some point even if its for a small amount of time. He really showed us in words the confusion that went into his mind as a child and even that of his siblings. Also his telling of his mom just made me respect her so much for her strength of what she had to endure and her finally saying enough. But God used all of the nastiness for His glory. Not only did the author come to know Jesus but he and his wife were able to be missionaries during one of Cambodia's darkest times in history. The violence and war life he got from his dad helped him during Cambodia's civil war. But not only that we also read about the redemption and forgiveness of father and son. It is a very powerful story and I plan on keeping this book to re-read or to give to someone who God leads me to that needs to read the story of this man. I highly recommend this book please read it, we need to see how God can take the horrible things in our past and turn them to good for His glory.
I was given this book from Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.
I was given this book from Tyndale Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.
September 14, 2015
This book started out compellingly, but it fizzled out. I will never deny anyone their right to speak their particular life truths, but the focus of this memoir fell flat and felt a little disingenuous when it moved from memoir into faith testimony. While I understand that Mark's faith helped him cope with his past and to find more positive focuses in his life, a lot of truly terrible things -- domestic abuse, neglect, racism, anti-Semitism, violence and glorification of violence -- seem to be just accepted as part of a deity's larger plan that Mark seems to unquestioningly accept (which I understand and recognize is often accepted and encouraged in faith communities, but the act of which in this book seems to absolve or disregard the human decisions and actions that led to those horrible things). The focus on Mark's father's white supremacism and neo-Nazi leanings is dropped almost entirely, which, to me as a reader and as a moral human being, is kind of disturbing, because this seems the kind of thing needs to be addressed. How did Mark learn his father's beliefs are wrong? Did (and, if so, how did) his father realize the error of his ways, repent, and change? There could have been a lot more addressed, and this could have been a powerful story about the human capacity for change and redemption, but this just felt like a memoir of a troubled, abused kid who escaped into religion as an adult, which is all fine and good but the perception of a deity's comfort after all this doesn't resolve or excuse the fact that human actions and human failings cause these very real harms in the first place.
March 3, 2019
This memoir describes the life of a man who has turned his life around. It is the story of a man whose childhood had been robbed by a neo-Nazi, imbecilic, and abusive father. A man hooked to drugs and alcohol. A man transformed by religion. And a man who traveled into a war zone to support the lives of a hundred orphans. The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman expresses the theme that hope is never to be lost.
July 11, 2015
I'm not sure if I would call Mark's father a "Neo-Nazi." The term brings to mind an entire life and style that is not unlike what is described in the book. But it seemed to be a phase that Mark's nutty father went through - a bad one, yes - but it seemed to last a period of time. I feel like, once a "Neo-Nazi," always a Neo-Nazi. As far as the "brilliant, startling detail," No. There was quite a bit of detail and I think that it's fantastically written and described to the best of the author's memory. But the details are based only what a child saw, many years ago and rightly so. I could have stood a little more personally, on how crazy his dad was. That's me, though, but I understand- this is Mark's memoir; not his father's.
The real-life war-games and artillery fire happened… but they were by no means the most pertinent parts of the book. Aside from the fact that Mark potentially has shrapnel logged in his ankle to this day, due to his dad's negligence at their makeshift gun range. Maybe that's not pertinent, either, but it is a fact.
I'm not quite sure where the climax of the book occurs as there are ebbs and flows throughout the book. For what I would consider the turning point - his mother finally deciding to leave and divorce his father - the manner in which that was portrayed is fairly anticlimactic. It wasn't him pulling her out of her car by her hair and dragging her back up to their house while her three children watched. Hell, it wasn't even that she knew and allowed that her children (at least the two boys) were being whipped with belts. She basically just decided one day, that she was over it and told her husband she wanted a divorce. There were no blow ups, even after dropping this bomb on him.
The last part of this book that I don't understand is how after a childhood filled with such turmoil, Mark could forgive his father. Or how he could find someone else to marry him months (or what seems like months) after being divorced from Mark's mom. And that his new wife didn't see or have any …issues… with him! Again, this does not at ALL mean I didn't think it was wonderfully written and a very poignant story - it's just very hard for me to wrap my head around. I can't say I would be so kind to a person that put me through hell on Earth.
Mark's story is ultimately a testimony to his faith, which is finds while he's in the Air Force. It causes him to turn his life and thinking around, make friends for the first time, and finally meet and marry an amazing family. As he would travel around the country (and world) speaking his testimony, I feel that this book is it, completely written out. I would like to know a little more about how his siblings turned out as well, as they all handled their home-life differently and seemed to grow further apart as they got older.
Overall, this book, The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman, was a fantastic, well written book. It's hard to wrap your head around the fact that these events actually occurred. It was not at all how I thought it would play out, based on the description I was given- it was better.
This book was provided to me for free by Tyndale Book Publishers in exchange for my open, honest review.
The real-life war-games and artillery fire happened… but they were by no means the most pertinent parts of the book. Aside from the fact that Mark potentially has shrapnel logged in his ankle to this day, due to his dad's negligence at their makeshift gun range. Maybe that's not pertinent, either, but it is a fact.
I'm not quite sure where the climax of the book occurs as there are ebbs and flows throughout the book. For what I would consider the turning point - his mother finally deciding to leave and divorce his father - the manner in which that was portrayed is fairly anticlimactic. It wasn't him pulling her out of her car by her hair and dragging her back up to their house while her three children watched. Hell, it wasn't even that she knew and allowed that her children (at least the two boys) were being whipped with belts. She basically just decided one day, that she was over it and told her husband she wanted a divorce. There were no blow ups, even after dropping this bomb on him.
The last part of this book that I don't understand is how after a childhood filled with such turmoil, Mark could forgive his father. Or how he could find someone else to marry him months (or what seems like months) after being divorced from Mark's mom. And that his new wife didn't see or have any …issues… with him! Again, this does not at ALL mean I didn't think it was wonderfully written and a very poignant story - it's just very hard for me to wrap my head around. I can't say I would be so kind to a person that put me through hell on Earth.
Mark's story is ultimately a testimony to his faith, which is finds while he's in the Air Force. It causes him to turn his life and thinking around, make friends for the first time, and finally meet and marry an amazing family. As he would travel around the country (and world) speaking his testimony, I feel that this book is it, completely written out. I would like to know a little more about how his siblings turned out as well, as they all handled their home-life differently and seemed to grow further apart as they got older.
Overall, this book, The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman, was a fantastic, well written book. It's hard to wrap your head around the fact that these events actually occurred. It was not at all how I thought it would play out, based on the description I was given- it was better.
This book was provided to me for free by Tyndale Book Publishers in exchange for my open, honest review.
July 6, 2016
My life was certainly not as hard as Mark Bouman's life but I could relate to some of the things that he faced. I think what I related to most was how God pulled Mark out of darkness into the light of Christ in spite of his upbringing or circumstances. My own testimony is not full of amazing and crazy things with an epic conversion. But I was a lost sinner who by the world's statistics should not be where I am and should still be lost. It is only by the grace of God that I was saved from my sin, pulled out of darkness, found faith in Christ, and am walking in the light. I'm not smart enough or talented enough. These things were all gifts from God. I think Mark would tell you the same things about his own life. The other big take away was connecting his life with Joseph in the Old Testament. Terrible things happened in Joseph's life. They were meant for evil at the time. But God used those deeds for His good purposes. Mark's time under his father were hard and at times evil. But God prepared him for greater things for His purposes through his ministry in Cambodia and the reconciliation experienced with his father much later in life. It is by God's grace alone that we live and breathe and have faith in Christ.
August 18, 2015
As I read The Tank Man’s Son: A Memoir I was intrigued as the author describes the ups and downs of growing up in an unstable home. The fear of never knowing what mood his father would be in at any given moment. The horror of knowing the punishment that would ensue when a trivial childhood mistake was made.
The Tank Man’s Son is unlike any book I’ve ever read. As I read the details of his childhood, as Mr. Bouman described, my heart was torn. It is hard to accept that children are treated in such a manner as the author and his siblings were. Unfortunately, the abuse of children happens more than it should.
I simply could not put this book down; it’s a page-turner for sure. As I neared the end I was not prepared for the conclusion. The hand of God is fully evident as the book ends. The forgiveness expressed by Mr. Bouman and the healing that happened in the relationship with his father is nothing short of a miracle
If you’re interested in learning more you can check out this book trailer by clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvaSJ...
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The Tank Man’s Son is unlike any book I’ve ever read. As I read the details of his childhood, as Mr. Bouman described, my heart was torn. It is hard to accept that children are treated in such a manner as the author and his siblings were. Unfortunately, the abuse of children happens more than it should.
I simply could not put this book down; it’s a page-turner for sure. As I neared the end I was not prepared for the conclusion. The hand of God is fully evident as the book ends. The forgiveness expressed by Mr. Bouman and the healing that happened in the relationship with his father is nothing short of a miracle
If you’re interested in learning more you can check out this book trailer by clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvaSJ...
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 5, 2015
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20
A promise that Mark was able to cling to when, as an adult, he met the Father of the fatherless. Son of an abusive, neo-nazi tyrant, Mark grew up controlled by propaganda, suffering frequent beatings, and a longing to be loved.
This is an incredible story about a life that could have had such a sad ending. Instead, God lifted him up out of his past and put Mark on an incredible journey as “Papa” to the fatherless (an orphanage in Cambodia) and father to two sons. It’s a beautiful memoir. At times, it can read a bit slowly, but overall, it sticks with you and qualifies as a must read.
Thank you, Tyndale, for sending me this wonderful book! As always, this is my honest opinion. Here’s to many more!
A promise that Mark was able to cling to when, as an adult, he met the Father of the fatherless. Son of an abusive, neo-nazi tyrant, Mark grew up controlled by propaganda, suffering frequent beatings, and a longing to be loved.
This is an incredible story about a life that could have had such a sad ending. Instead, God lifted him up out of his past and put Mark on an incredible journey as “Papa” to the fatherless (an orphanage in Cambodia) and father to two sons. It’s a beautiful memoir. At times, it can read a bit slowly, but overall, it sticks with you and qualifies as a must read.
Thank you, Tyndale, for sending me this wonderful book! As always, this is my honest opinion. Here’s to many more!
November 21, 2015
In 2003, my wife and I traveled to Cambodia and met Mark and Joan while they were serving as directors of the orphanage in Sihanoukville. We spent two days with them and were instant friends. We now live in Cambodia and serve as missionaries. As a personal friend, I couldn't wait to read Mark's book. It was a tough read and there were a few times where I just had to stop and take a break. It was hard to hear the stories of a father beating his family. As the book progressed it was hard to put down. I have heard many of Mark's stories but his book painted a full picture of his life growing up and becoming the man he is today. I won't give the book away, but I was deeply touched and was in tears as I finished the book.
Out of the 30 books I have read this year, I would recommend this one over all the others. Thank you Mark for putting your story onto paper.
Out of the 30 books I have read this year, I would recommend this one over all the others. Thank you Mark for putting your story onto paper.
September 12, 2015
This book is not very well written in my opinion. There are a few passages that are somewhat striking, but I was mostly bored by the style. The story was fairly interesting, but not as interesting as they made it sound on the back. Of course the publisher compared it to two really good books in the description, but after reading a bit, I realized that there really was very little that the three books had in common, but that it was a way to sell more of the book. Yes, sometimes I think I WAS born yesterday. I was surprised by the ending, but found it interesting. Overall, it wasn't a waste of time to read it and some may really find it fascinating. I think I demand a little more in terms of writing skill.
July 25, 2015
"In the tradition of The Glass Castle and Angela's Ashes comes the most unforgettable memoir you'll read this year."
Yes. Mark Bouman has a way of sharing his pain, fear, isolation, and finally hope that you can't stop reading his story.
He grew up in a very abusive home. Most children would not have survived. Most would have used this as an excuse to be angry and not productive.
God had a plan for Mark. His plan was to turn all the evil into good. I love reading a well written account of God's amazing work.
This story was sometimes hard to read. I had to take a break and calm my emotions. After awhile I had to know what happened to the family.
Yes. Mark Bouman has a way of sharing his pain, fear, isolation, and finally hope that you can't stop reading his story.
He grew up in a very abusive home. Most children would not have survived. Most would have used this as an excuse to be angry and not productive.
God had a plan for Mark. His plan was to turn all the evil into good. I love reading a well written account of God's amazing work.
This story was sometimes hard to read. I had to take a break and calm my emotions. After awhile I had to know what happened to the family.
August 22, 2015
This is definitely one of my favorite memoirs books!
This book is deep, touching and full of good message. I'm amazed of the big change in Mark Bouman's life and how he could become a man of example even with his tragic past. It was really deep to read about his journey to forgiveness and restoration.
I can't describe how amazing is this memoir! I recommend this book if you want to read something about redemption and forgiveness.
This book is deep, touching and full of good message. I'm amazed of the big change in Mark Bouman's life and how he could become a man of example even with his tragic past. It was really deep to read about his journey to forgiveness and restoration.
I can't describe how amazing is this memoir! I recommend this book if you want to read something about redemption and forgiveness.
March 31, 2017
Brutal, brutal story. Surely not for everyone. I loved it though, and the impression and lessons learned about forgivesness and realationsships are going to stay with me, for a long time.
".. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.."
".. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.."
February 17, 2022
This book, which has a dark cover and has an abusive father as a main character, languished on my bookshelf for years. Like Unbroken, the sorrows in this book are redeemed. The r redemption is majestic because the magnitude of the sorrows these children faced. There are parts of the writer’s childhood that would have been magical had the father been the absent-minded professor instead of an unpredictable monster—there were tank rides, car plane rides, summers on a house boat and Tom Sawyer like night along the river, and a canine best friend. I’ve never been to Michigan but the atmospheric writing of the home on 11 sandy acres transported me there. Highly, highly recommended, especially if you need a reminder that God truly does work ALL things together for good for his children.
November 18, 2019
This was an incredibly fascinating and moving book. My only disappointment with it was the drastic change in tone and speed at the end, when the author discusses his adult life; it felt tacked-on (almost an afterthought, and a moralistic one at that) to what was otherwise a story of Bouman's childhood.
November 6, 2023
At first, I wondered what the point of all of his stories were. I get it's a memoir, but it seemed to have no point, no reason for them, other than just to tell.
Then I got to the final chapters and wow what an ending that I wasn't expecting. So good and worth the read.
Then I got to the final chapters and wow what an ending that I wasn't expecting. So good and worth the read.
November 5, 2022
FIVE STARS!!!! This is an incredible story of how God used horrible abuse and pain to prepare Mark for the future that God planned for him.
June 9, 2015
"The Tank Man's Son" is a powerful story of redemption. "The tank man" is not a psychological notion because that man really owned a tank! The tank was not the only thing that was in his possession, there were all kinds of guns including illegal and illegal weapons for that time had to be pretty big and dangerous. The whole book tells story after story of a very miserable childhood of three children, the author is the middle child. Their father also had a personality of a tank - cold, curt and scary. He admired neo nazi ideals and ran his house like a boot camp.
"He would invite guys over, and when they knocked, he would open the front door with his left hand. Then he'd bang his heels together and stick his right arm out in front of him, like he was pointing at the sun.
"Sieg heil!"
His friends would do the same thing back, and often they were dressed in tan or camouflage uniforms."
p.55
It was almost unbearable to read all the pain these kids lived through - they were beaten all the time, occasionaly shot, and perpetually afraid of their Dad. I was wondering when this torture would end and some relief would come but 15-16 years of terrible life had a few stories to share and they filled the book almost until the very end.
Eventually Mark Bouman's life changed for the better, he believed in Jesus and even became a missionary. Thank God for turning all the bad things for good, and for the forgiveness, and reconciliation He gave to the author and his father.
It is a great book even if you have had a good dad and a happy childhood. Read and appreciate what you have.
"He would invite guys over, and when they knocked, he would open the front door with his left hand. Then he'd bang his heels together and stick his right arm out in front of him, like he was pointing at the sun.
"Sieg heil!"
His friends would do the same thing back, and often they were dressed in tan or camouflage uniforms."
p.55
It was almost unbearable to read all the pain these kids lived through - they were beaten all the time, occasionaly shot, and perpetually afraid of their Dad. I was wondering when this torture would end and some relief would come but 15-16 years of terrible life had a few stories to share and they filled the book almost until the very end.
Eventually Mark Bouman's life changed for the better, he believed in Jesus and even became a missionary. Thank God for turning all the bad things for good, and for the forgiveness, and reconciliation He gave to the author and his father.
It is a great book even if you have had a good dad and a happy childhood. Read and appreciate what you have.
December 7, 2015
A father to the fatherless prepared to care for children by the apathy and evil of my own childhood. I was my dad but changed – turned inside out by grace and granted a chance to unmake the past. I was Papa.
A testimony of a life changed from a difficult childhood. Mark Bouman family life is a prime example of a dysfunctional family. A father who terrorized his 3 children and wife with physical and emotional abuse with words like “shut up or I will give you something to cry about”. Or Clean this mess up! You want to live like a pig? Then I’ll treat you like a Pig! I should take a belt to you.” When dad was home, everyone scattered. What does that do a young impressionable mind? It can go either way, it can make another monster or it can redeem the tragedy.
Mark Bouman is redemption story. He bares the ugly and makes something beautiful. It is not a story of how bad can a dad be (which he was) but a dad that is forgiven and redeemed as well. It was an emotional read especially if you can relate to any of the abuse that was revealed. However, it is also encouraging read that redemption can found and will be found when faith is put in the work of Jesus.
A Special Thank You to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
A testimony of a life changed from a difficult childhood. Mark Bouman family life is a prime example of a dysfunctional family. A father who terrorized his 3 children and wife with physical and emotional abuse with words like “shut up or I will give you something to cry about”. Or Clean this mess up! You want to live like a pig? Then I’ll treat you like a Pig! I should take a belt to you.” When dad was home, everyone scattered. What does that do a young impressionable mind? It can go either way, it can make another monster or it can redeem the tragedy.
Mark Bouman is redemption story. He bares the ugly and makes something beautiful. It is not a story of how bad can a dad be (which he was) but a dad that is forgiven and redeemed as well. It was an emotional read especially if you can relate to any of the abuse that was revealed. However, it is also encouraging read that redemption can found and will be found when faith is put in the work of Jesus.
A Special Thank You to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
November 8, 2015
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN ESPAÑOL
Writing a memoir is probably the most difficult genre in my opinion, but I think this book is the best example of writing and therefore it is destined to become a star of good literature .
This book takes you on a difficult time and full of conflicts, and that's why it's attractive for reading, and also because it grabs you from the prologue; the story is so detailed and beautiful that you feel like a character in the story. In addition, this book takes you on a frantic journey of emotions, it makes you laugh and mourn and understand in depth the feelings of the characters .
The story is so moving and profound that doesn't seem real life -not even fiction-, but a parable of redemption and forgiveness.
So far this year, it's one of the best memoirs I've read because it ha touched heart deeply
-I recieved a book from Tyndale Blog Network in exchange for my honest opinion but this fact didn't influence the review-
June 19, 2015
The writing is solid and well done. The story is terrible in that it's sad and horrific what happened. It's a memoir that follows the path of "This horrible thing happened to me but God saved me and he can save you too" which I'm not a huge fan of. I didn't want to finish reading it and gave up several times. Not to say it's a bad book. It's just not something I enjoy reading. It may well speak deeply to the right reader so don't discount the book based solely on my review. I received and ARC through the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.
November 26, 2018
This memoir is unforgettable. Mark Bouman recounts his unique childhood in Michigan, growing up in constant fear of his Neo-Nazi father, the "Tank Man". Even though many stories are utterly heartbreaking and horrific, Bouman manages to lighten the overall devastation somewhat as he recalls his early life with childlike humour. It is only years later that Bouman is able to see how God redeemed so much of his life for good. This is a shocking story of survival, and a compelling account of forgiveness and fortitude. I listened to it on Audio and highly recommend it.
July 6, 2016
This book was harrowing and exhilarating. Since I'm the guy who blames Christian writing for not being specific enough about the extent of man's depravity, it would hardly be fair for me to simultaneously blame a writer for spending too much time on the all life and not enough on the new, but… That's my verdict.
August 22, 2016
This riveting memoir tells the story of a young boy growing up in the home of a wildly abusive father. It's difficult to read at times as Mark recalls his harrowing childhood, but the conclusion is an absolutely amazing tale of God's power to work all things together for good.
For Tim Challies' 2016 Reading Challenge this was the book I read that's a memoir.
For Tim Challies' 2016 Reading Challenge this was the book I read that's a memoir.
March 25, 2016
A well written, moving book - but then I am partial to testimonies of my Father's boundless grace!
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