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A Faithful Son
A Faithful Son is an award winning, dazzling debut and genre-defying novel. This captivating coming of age tale chronicles the life of Zach Nance, a young man struggling to find his place in an ever-shifting world and the zany cast of local characters who help him come to an understanding of himself and the secret he harbors. The small town of Durango, Colorado provides the rural backdrop for Garvin's masterful novel. A hunky traveling carnie, an eccentric gaggle of pious church spinsters, a flirty drag queen and Jesus Christ, himself, all make appearances within the pages of this endearing novel. After tragedy befalls the Nance's, Zach's close-knit family unravels. He vows to protect his beloved mother and sister from the fallout of his troubled father's choices -- forcing young Zach to redefine his loyalties, his faith and his own destiny. A beautiful and heartrending tale in the grand tradition of To Kill A Mockingbird and The Help. A Faithful Son captures life's bittersweet journey through lost innocence, sacrifice, and self-discovery, treating readers to a compassionate story of enduring hope.
308 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2016
171 people are currently reading
1006 people want to read
About the author
Michael Scott Garvin
3 books180 followersMichael Scott Garvin is an award winning custom home builder, interior designer & author. His design firm Michael Scott Garvin Studio has designed and built custom homes throughout the Southwest.
A Faithful Son is Garvin's debut novel.
His second novel "Aunt Sookie & Me" was released July 2017
A Faithful Son is Garvin's debut novel.
His second novel "Aunt Sookie & Me" was released July 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
March 21, 2019
A masterpieceful beautiful melancholic prose. It is how I like my gay fiction to be written.
I know I should write a proper review for this excellent debut novel by Michael Scott Garvin, but I hate to type my reviews on the small keyboard of my smartphone. But I'll come home soon and maybe then...Now I am just happy I found this book.
I know I should write a proper review for this excellent debut novel by Michael Scott Garvin, but I hate to type my reviews on the small keyboard of my smartphone. But I'll come home soon and maybe then...Now I am just happy I found this book.
October 14, 2016
WOW!!!! Michael Scott Garvin's debut novel, A Faithful Son is my favorite book of the year! And I read so many books sometimes they all start to read the same. Not this one!!!
As the blurb says, " This coming of age tale chronicles the life of Zach Nance, a young man struggling to find his place in an ever-shifting world."
Beautifully written prose. This is a book I'm going to be encouraging all of my friends to read. It's a MUST READ.
It's just that good!!!
As the blurb says, " This coming of age tale chronicles the life of Zach Nance, a young man struggling to find his place in an ever-shifting world."
Beautifully written prose. This is a book I'm going to be encouraging all of my friends to read. It's a MUST READ.
It's just that good!!!
October 30, 2016
This story is about Zach Nance, his adventures, misadventures, and tragedies that affected his life and family in the small town of Durango, Colorado. One tragedy set his family on an irreversible course, but through it all his mother remained the pillar that Zach leaned on. As Zach grew, so did the once small town. As things changed, Zach found he had to seek a place beyond the boundaries of Durango.
This was an amazing story, with parallels I think most people can relate to. The writing carries the reader along just like the river in the story. It is timeless, with a multitude of engaging characters. A book worthy of anyone's attention.
This was an amazing story, with parallels I think most people can relate to. The writing carries the reader along just like the river in the story. It is timeless, with a multitude of engaging characters. A book worthy of anyone's attention.
March 14, 2017
This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. Waves and currents of dazzling prose form a compelling, memoir-like story of Zachariah Nance's journey from boy to adulthood. The real gem in this book is the narrator. Zach narrates his life story, trying to be the dutiful and faithful son, living in a God-fearing community in Durango, Colorado. 'Boys like me grow up crooked. Twisted and bent like gnarly white oaks reaching to find any sunlight peeking under the canopy of the taller pines. We stretch up toward the slightest breach of light slipping through boughs of the larger trees. Quietly and deliberately we watch other boys on the street corners. We study them in class, observe them playing on the field, and mimic them like the mockingbird who learns to attract by singing another bird’s song.' Throughout his story, from 1959 and on into the early 80s, we meet the Nance family- religious mother, alcoholic father and two sisters- along with a huge amount of local characters, and finally when he escape (literally, but emotionally I hope so) to Los Angeles we meet Doug- handsome, tanned, poster beach boy- his ocean. Mmmmm........'How could I have known from that day on all the missing pieces I’d lost along the way would be found somewhere in his easy laughter?......Mmmmm.......'I felt stronger, more powerful, with my chest pressed against Doug’s back, like when two rivers meet and bend into one.' But, 'I knew full well I was abandoning Doug for the holidays, year after year leaving him alone, choosing Mom and Laura (his sister) over courage and honesty.' The family and the quaint little town were occupied his thoughts and story-line. The pivotal roles in Zach’s life. 'I’m an old man now, and no matter the years traveled, I carry an aching feeling that something has been lost and that the missing pieces maybe found somewhere there— the only home I’ve ever known. Good or bad, right or wrong, I am left with the memories of these people and the small white house on County Road 250.' Unfortunately his sexuality was just among the things Zach tries to carry its weight. I craved for more room for Doug's presence, and God forgive me, for off limits West Hollywood’s beautiful men. Lol!
This story is rich with meaning, inner struggles, rustic humor, real flesh and blood people, and prose like poetry. Congratulations to Michael Scott Garvin for making this a very emotional and an engaging book.
~Solid 4+ stars~
Thank you my-Secret-Santa for this gift! Love you!
This story is rich with meaning, inner struggles, rustic humor, real flesh and blood people, and prose like poetry. Congratulations to Michael Scott Garvin for making this a very emotional and an engaging book.
~Solid 4+ stars~
Thank you my-Secret-Santa for this gift! Love you!
February 17, 2017
This book proves that to me writing really matters. I am not a fan of stories that begin in infanthood and continue on to the end. Here this did not matter, Garvin's writing made it not matter. I loved his humour, his turns of phrase, his writing is flowing and made me want to read on and on.
Garvin speaks about family and love and how we live together. How we are unable to show who we really are, how we are afraid to test the family waters by showing our true selves. Because we can be rejected. So we hide in fear and our love remains but also becomes a bit twisted as it is not growing freely. I thought about whether the fear of rejection is justified or we loose by not trying to show ourselves, our glory. It is a knife edge decision because oh yes we can be rejected but also we can be wonderfully surprised by the balm of acceptance.
"Now I understand the deed was done with the telling of the first lie. As a kid, I went about covering my tracks but with the first denial, a seed was planted. Buried in the deepest part of my gut, it grew and bore the most hideous crop - shame, guilt, and loathing. Like an ivy-choked field, the single lie spread unrestrained. It crept about my innards, strangling the most tender places.
Fits into slot 12 of my reading challenge - A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read. - I don't know about it's bestseller status but I've noted the awards and the accolades.
March 18, 2021
My debut novel will always hold a special place in my heart.
October 6, 2016
Goodness, where do I begin?
This was a gentle, loving, patient book about the life of a man who grew up in the middle-of-nowhere- Colorado and the people that surrounded him.
Gorgeously written with prose like poetry, I think Michael Scott Garvin tells the story of nearly every gay man in this novel. He paints a picture of the world that existed in all of its complicated glory before, during, and after he decides to live his life. The normalcy of it all. The mundaneness of it all. The tragedy. And the laugh out loud hilarity of it all.
Garvin grasps humanity in this forgiving story that treats people with the dignity they deserve. Like a modern day gospel, we see the struggle of a man and his family just to survive and the unyielding love he had for his family.
I don't know about anyone else, but I found myself reflected periodically through the pages and I had to catch my breath.
Mr. Garvin, you didn't write a novel. You wrote a beatitude. Blessed are they who love, no matter how the love, for wherever love is, God is.
Thank you.
"I will then rest in the shade of the pines and wait for the echoes of my mother’s distant voice to hasten me home."
Shit. Now I'm crying again.
This was a gentle, loving, patient book about the life of a man who grew up in the middle-of-nowhere- Colorado and the people that surrounded him.
Gorgeously written with prose like poetry, I think Michael Scott Garvin tells the story of nearly every gay man in this novel. He paints a picture of the world that existed in all of its complicated glory before, during, and after he decides to live his life. The normalcy of it all. The mundaneness of it all. The tragedy. And the laugh out loud hilarity of it all.
Garvin grasps humanity in this forgiving story that treats people with the dignity they deserve. Like a modern day gospel, we see the struggle of a man and his family just to survive and the unyielding love he had for his family.
I don't know about anyone else, but I found myself reflected periodically through the pages and I had to catch my breath.
Mr. Garvin, you didn't write a novel. You wrote a beatitude. Blessed are they who love, no matter how the love, for wherever love is, God is.
Thank you.
"I will then rest in the shade of the pines and wait for the echoes of my mother’s distant voice to hasten me home."
Shit. Now I'm crying again.
November 18, 2016
I realized while reading A Faithful Son how few purely American stories I read these days. I don't naturally drift towards American authors or landscapes - even less so if the context is rural America and/or church people.
So it was doubly surprising how much I enjoyed this coming of age tale of a gay man who breaks away from his disintegrating family, but never manages to leave them behind.
The author taps into universal truths that all of us gay sons and brothers and lovers have experienced, regardless of time or location. Particularly well realized is the mutual disappointment that usually exists between gay men and their fathers, and the complicated, overprotective, feelings between gay sons and mothers.
As a small side note, the brief scenes with the yellow mutt were really touching. I don't know if the market needs another 'dog memoir', but Garvin definitely has the ability to write a brilliant novel from a canine point of view.
This book will take its place in my library next to my favorite Jim Grimsley, Andrew Holleran and Alan Hollinghurst novels. I hope it finds the wider audience it deserves.
So it was doubly surprising how much I enjoyed this coming of age tale of a gay man who breaks away from his disintegrating family, but never manages to leave them behind.
The author taps into universal truths that all of us gay sons and brothers and lovers have experienced, regardless of time or location. Particularly well realized is the mutual disappointment that usually exists between gay men and their fathers, and the complicated, overprotective, feelings between gay sons and mothers.
As a small side note, the brief scenes with the yellow mutt were really touching. I don't know if the market needs another 'dog memoir', but Garvin definitely has the ability to write a brilliant novel from a canine point of view.
This book will take its place in my library next to my favorite Jim Grimsley, Andrew Holleran and Alan Hollinghurst novels. I hope it finds the wider audience it deserves.
March 21, 2017
This is a sweet, loving and emotional read about the life of man born and raised in Colorado. The MC, Zach, is not a hero nor is his life a spectacular one and this is one of the many reasons why I loved this book so much.
Zach is an "ordinary" man devoted to his own family but who carries the burden of a sexual identity that collides with the religious beliefs of his community and who struggles throughout his life to come to terms with his past and his upbringing while trying to fly away from it looking for serenity.
Gorgeously written, with strong female characters and a landscape that's also part of the narration, this book offers a good balance between light moments and drama, without excess in one sense or the other.
I really enjoyed it.
Zach is an "ordinary" man devoted to his own family but who carries the burden of a sexual identity that collides with the religious beliefs of his community and who struggles throughout his life to come to terms with his past and his upbringing while trying to fly away from it looking for serenity.
Gorgeously written, with strong female characters and a landscape that's also part of the narration, this book offers a good balance between light moments and drama, without excess in one sense or the other.
I really enjoyed it.
October 19, 2016
“My tale begins before I understood this old world is held together with twisted baling wire and rusted penny nails.”
In some small but significant ways, I felt a kinship with Zachariah Nance, the narrator of Michael Scott Garvin’s A Faithful Son. Told in retrospect by a Zach who is older, wiser, and has been shaped by a childhood full of idyllic days and tragic loss—a loss that went on to destroy his father—this novel is at once heartbreaking and breathtaking. Written in what might best be described as narrative poetry, though reading like an autobiography, Garvin’s exquisite prose lays out the introductions beginning in 1959 Durango, Colorado. Throughout this story, we meet the Nance family, along with a tidy portion of the population in this sleepy town full of busybodies, the good and kind and generous Baptist men and women who fear the Almighty and believe with unwavering conviction that their God is present and prominent in all things great and small.
As these townsfolk begin to populate the imagination of the reader, traveling with Zach on his journey from boy to adulthood transforms us from mere reader to a more intimate observer. We become confidante to his most intimate thoughts and feelings, and details that might at once be dismissed as superfluous become melodious as they shape the tone of our understanding of Zach’s anger, fears, doubts and, ultimately, his need to escape the hinterlands of Colorado and spread his wings in a place where he might not feel so compelled to hide a significant part of who he is. We witness Zach’s evolution as he begins to separate himself from the God of his childhood and then toes a dangerous line drawn by his father—a man with whom the devil seemed to ride shotgun, lying in wait for his fall from grace.
Through this journey we watch as Zach dates local girls and loses his virginity, all while harboring a secret and unspeakable desire. We also watch as the struggle for self-acceptance leads Zach to his first romance with a boy, knowing that nothing good or lasting can come of it in a place like Durango, but celebrating the headiness of it on his behalf all the same. Love, Zach believes, is not for him or men like him, a belief in his mind that weighs like an anvil on a heart that wants to believe there will be someone for him. When he finally makes his escape to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, and meets Doug—the man who will become Zach’s lifeline and touchstone—it’s a weight Zach still struggles with as he begins to buckle from the fear of losing the one thing he wants most.
An integral thread in the fabric of Zach’s life is Alice Faye, the matriarch and bedrock upon whom rests the Nance children’s abiding love and loyalty. She is a pillar of the community, a good and God fearing Baptist spitfire whose strength and humor and no-nonsense approach to nurturing her family contrasted with her struggle to hold on to a failed marriage because she’d promised “‘til death do us part,” and meant it. She is for whom Zach remains the dutiful and faithful son, always, and while the all-important words Zach holds close are never confessed to his momma, I never once doubted that a mother’s intuition gave the sharp-eyed Alice Faye Nance the slip, nor that her love for her children ever came with conditions.
But being your own man and being a dutiful son can, at times, work at cross purposes, and there comes a point when the relationship between parent and child is as stifling as it is sustaining; though, no matter how old, there is always a part of us that clings to and mourns the loss of the innocence of childhood, when clouds took the shape of fantastic beasts and adventures culminated in the safety and security of home. As this story draws to a close, the two decades spent with Zach is, like life, a series of tragedies and triumphs. A Faithful Son is written as if a memoir, peppered with homespun humor and unspoken truths—secrets held close until the closing pages of this story when Zach is finally able to put words to feelings and openly declare his need for the man he loves.
A Faithful Son is one of the most powerful novels I’ve read in quite some time, emotionally and spiritually resonant, and a stunning work of fiction. I’ll carry the memories of this brilliant debut with me for a long time to come.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
In some small but significant ways, I felt a kinship with Zachariah Nance, the narrator of Michael Scott Garvin’s A Faithful Son. Told in retrospect by a Zach who is older, wiser, and has been shaped by a childhood full of idyllic days and tragic loss—a loss that went on to destroy his father—this novel is at once heartbreaking and breathtaking. Written in what might best be described as narrative poetry, though reading like an autobiography, Garvin’s exquisite prose lays out the introductions beginning in 1959 Durango, Colorado. Throughout this story, we meet the Nance family, along with a tidy portion of the population in this sleepy town full of busybodies, the good and kind and generous Baptist men and women who fear the Almighty and believe with unwavering conviction that their God is present and prominent in all things great and small.
As these townsfolk begin to populate the imagination of the reader, traveling with Zach on his journey from boy to adulthood transforms us from mere reader to a more intimate observer. We become confidante to his most intimate thoughts and feelings, and details that might at once be dismissed as superfluous become melodious as they shape the tone of our understanding of Zach’s anger, fears, doubts and, ultimately, his need to escape the hinterlands of Colorado and spread his wings in a place where he might not feel so compelled to hide a significant part of who he is. We witness Zach’s evolution as he begins to separate himself from the God of his childhood and then toes a dangerous line drawn by his father—a man with whom the devil seemed to ride shotgun, lying in wait for his fall from grace.
Through this journey we watch as Zach dates local girls and loses his virginity, all while harboring a secret and unspeakable desire. We also watch as the struggle for self-acceptance leads Zach to his first romance with a boy, knowing that nothing good or lasting can come of it in a place like Durango, but celebrating the headiness of it on his behalf all the same. Love, Zach believes, is not for him or men like him, a belief in his mind that weighs like an anvil on a heart that wants to believe there will be someone for him. When he finally makes his escape to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, and meets Doug—the man who will become Zach’s lifeline and touchstone—it’s a weight Zach still struggles with as he begins to buckle from the fear of losing the one thing he wants most.
An integral thread in the fabric of Zach’s life is Alice Faye, the matriarch and bedrock upon whom rests the Nance children’s abiding love and loyalty. She is a pillar of the community, a good and God fearing Baptist spitfire whose strength and humor and no-nonsense approach to nurturing her family contrasted with her struggle to hold on to a failed marriage because she’d promised “‘til death do us part,” and meant it. She is for whom Zach remains the dutiful and faithful son, always, and while the all-important words Zach holds close are never confessed to his momma, I never once doubted that a mother’s intuition gave the sharp-eyed Alice Faye Nance the slip, nor that her love for her children ever came with conditions.
But being your own man and being a dutiful son can, at times, work at cross purposes, and there comes a point when the relationship between parent and child is as stifling as it is sustaining; though, no matter how old, there is always a part of us that clings to and mourns the loss of the innocence of childhood, when clouds took the shape of fantastic beasts and adventures culminated in the safety and security of home. As this story draws to a close, the two decades spent with Zach is, like life, a series of tragedies and triumphs. A Faithful Son is written as if a memoir, peppered with homespun humor and unspoken truths—secrets held close until the closing pages of this story when Zach is finally able to put words to feelings and openly declare his need for the man he loves.
A Faithful Son is one of the most powerful novels I’ve read in quite some time, emotionally and spiritually resonant, and a stunning work of fiction. I’ll carry the memories of this brilliant debut with me for a long time to come.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
July 23, 2016
This is not the sort of book I generally read, but I'm so glad I chose to. It's a beautifully written tale which follows Zach Nance on his journey to find a place for himself in a world that isn't quite ready to accept his sexuality, something he struggles to accept about himself. He meets a variety of colourful characters, each one so well written that they come to life on the page. I recommend this book highly. Once you pick it up, you won't be putting it down again in a hurry.
October 30, 2016
I want to hug you Michael Garvin. That's how this story left me - nostalgic. Freed from his past Zach shares his innermost thoughts. Growing up in the 60's Zach walked the line of a God fearing man, he guarded his private thoughts, his reality - there was no other choice. Isn't that the saddest? The inability to share your real self with those most important to you.
This story felt like words that needed to be said, a confession maybe. Michael Garvin captures precisely the balance of reality in all the words unsaid, guilts we place on ourselves from a truth we are trying to keep. The whole Christian guilt of sin was very well scripted. Characters were precise and struck memories of my own youth. Very well told indeed.
This story felt like words that needed to be said, a confession maybe. Michael Garvin captures precisely the balance of reality in all the words unsaid, guilts we place on ourselves from a truth we are trying to keep. The whole Christian guilt of sin was very well scripted. Characters were precise and struck memories of my own youth. Very well told indeed.
November 22, 2016
This was a well-written and super descriptive first novel, and although I got sidetracked sometimes, it's far more likely to appeal to US readers giving them a true glimpse of American family life from the 1950's onwards...think Happy Days [or should that be The Beverly Hillbillies?] but with large doses of religious fervour, and nowhere near as much humour. One thing I can tell you for certain....Zach was definitely a faithful son, right up until the end of the story even though he still had secrets. 4 stars.
February 7, 2017
This was an emotional story of a young gay man growing up in the 60's in the country raised by a baptist family. There is a tragedy early on that affects everyone in the family. I imagine what this young man went through many young gay men have had to deal with in their lives. Great writing and good story.
December 28, 2016
The beauty in this book is in the narrator. The way Garvin wrote Zach, the book reads as if you’ve sat down with Zach so he can tell you his story–the good, the tragic, the difficult and the loving of it all. From the prologue we know Zach has become “an old man” and it’s from the point of view the rest of the book rolls out. It’s a very effective storytelling technique and Garvin executes it perfectly.
You can read the full review at http://www.jeffandwill.com/2016/12/18...
NOTE: I received a free ebook for an honest review for "Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast."
You can read the full review at http://www.jeffandwill.com/2016/12/18...
NOTE: I received a free ebook for an honest review for "Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast."
November 24, 2016
Brilliant!
Wow! A Faithful Son by Michael Scott Garvin is one of the best books I've read...ever! Just brilliant! This is the kind of book that begs to be read over and over. A classic book to be taken off of the book shelf, to be held in your hands and read from pages of paper as the words come alive. I can't sing my praises loud enough. Thanks to the author for this rare gem. I'll definitely be ordering the "real" book to add to my collection of all time faves!
Wow! A Faithful Son by Michael Scott Garvin is one of the best books I've read...ever! Just brilliant! This is the kind of book that begs to be read over and over. A classic book to be taken off of the book shelf, to be held in your hands and read from pages of paper as the words come alive. I can't sing my praises loud enough. Thanks to the author for this rare gem. I'll definitely be ordering the "real" book to add to my collection of all time faves!
February 26, 2017
I very much liked this book for its voice. If prose were music, this would be fresh combinations of chords coming together unexpectedly, but successfully. It breaks the mold, and that's refreshing. Crystal clear images and vivid characters create a thoughtful story that has layers of meaning which can't be tidily summed up at the last page. I love when my mind is still sparking long after I arrive at the last page. For me, that happened with this book.
I also appreciate the courage of the book. This is not one of those "these loveable characters did some interesting things" sort of novels. Characters here are wrestling, with varying degrees of success, with big issues like what life is for and what death means, what keeping faith costs and what deserves to be believed in. Yet there is sharp wit at play that keeps grimness at bay. I confess I don't love the characters here, but I respect the hell out of them.
Something else rather interesting about this book is that it straddles genres. It could easily be one of those gritty Southern novels full of hardscrabble characters...but it's set in Colorado. There are gay elements, but they're catalysts not conclusions. It could be a mishmash, but here it works.
I also appreciate the courage of the book. This is not one of those "these loveable characters did some interesting things" sort of novels. Characters here are wrestling, with varying degrees of success, with big issues like what life is for and what death means, what keeping faith costs and what deserves to be believed in. Yet there is sharp wit at play that keeps grimness at bay. I confess I don't love the characters here, but I respect the hell out of them.
Something else rather interesting about this book is that it straddles genres. It could easily be one of those gritty Southern novels full of hardscrabble characters...but it's set in Colorado. There are gay elements, but they're catalysts not conclusions. It could be a mishmash, but here it works.
May 26, 2023
Very grateful to Michael Garvin for gifting me a paper back copy of this well crafted story of Zach Nance. A young man who finally accepts his secret after picking up his father's ashes, but still unable to tell the world his secret even after meeting the man who would be his rock forever. And unable to share his good fortune with his sister who has been a constant support throughout his life, until his Momma has passed on. How deep is our conditioning that the world will not accept us for who we are, but each difficult life event molds us stronger and closer to knowing our strength and true self. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you Michael.
Re read this May 2023 and the writing is superb, lovely crafted descriptions of people, life and attitudes in this small western town. Often humorous, once again enjoyed re reading this after some six years later.
Re read this May 2023 and the writing is superb, lovely crafted descriptions of people, life and attitudes in this small western town. Often humorous, once again enjoyed re reading this after some six years later.
November 1, 2016
ummmmmm not sure what to say apart from WOW !!!
im in shock at how it ended because the story doesnt lead in that way
but the whole story was amazing from start to finish real honest characters with back stories to explain who they are making that unforgetable
im sure im going to read more books by this amazing writer
im in shock at how it ended because the story doesnt lead in that way
but the whole story was amazing from start to finish real honest characters with back stories to explain who they are making that unforgetable
im sure im going to read more books by this amazing writer
December 12, 2016
It took me a little bit to get into this (probably because I've read too many fluffy books recently) but this book is totally worth it. Highly recommended.
February 7, 2017
A Rural Family Dilema
This is not your typical book. I like the fact that the gay character is not the antagonist. In fact, I really don't see any protagonists or antagonists in the book. A superb story.
This is not your typical book. I like the fact that the gay character is not the antagonist. In fact, I really don't see any protagonists or antagonists in the book. A superb story.
August 14, 2017
Garvin is a masterful storyteller and the novel is a joy to read. Lots of quirky characters and heartwarming details.
November 9, 2016
A Faithful Son
Michael Scott Garvin
By the author, 2016
ISBN 13: 9781519414731
Four stars
Sometimes, even unhappiness can’t cut you off from the place that made you.
Michael Scott Garvin has created a memoir-like tale about Zachariah Nance, a farm boy from Durango, Colorado. From his idyllic memories of childhood with his sisters, Laura and Kate, to the uncomfortable adolescence that finds him increasingly alienated from his family and community, the author takes us through Zach’s life. We are offered an intimate view of what it is to be the child of an Evangelical Christian family in the 1950s, a boy whose secrets create a burden so intolerable that the only relief is to leave.
“I was just a stupid kid and didn’t know God picked his favorites like the prettiest flowers from a garden.”
The beauty of Durango and the charms of a simple small-town childhood are contrasted with Zach’s increasing awareness of his difference from his peers, as he struggles to fit in in a way every gay man of a certain generation will accept with painful recognition.
“I grew into a young man who didn’t recognize his own face in the mirror.”
Even as Zach battles his own demons, tragedy shatters the tenuous happiness of his childhood, and through his eyes we watch the aftermath as it affects the lives of his whole family in unalterable ways, defining their individual futures even as tries to imagine what kind of future he might have. So this is a memoir not just about Zach, but about his sister and his parents. Zach’s struggle and pain as he seeks some kind of personal truth becomes inextricably linked to that of those he loves best.
“After all these years, I still wonder why God abandons a man when life gets bent and bruised beyond recognition.”
While the overall time-frame of the story arc takes us from the 1950s to the 1970s – possibly even into the 1980s – the internal chronology of the narrative is often puzzling, and left me confused as to the actual time of different events in Zach’s life. I suppose this is unimportant to most readers, for whom the emotional state of Zach and his family are what matters, and that is depicted with painful clarity.
Ultimately, this is the story about a boy growing up and moving away from a place where he feels profoundly out of synch with the world into which he was born. But it is also, more painfully, about a man who never manages to integrate his past and his present; his happiness and his sorrows. To the very end, Zach Nance is the faithful son of the title, and never quite manages to tie his present and his past into any sort of bearable whole. The rigid conformity of his childhood religious upbringing never allows him to be both who he is and who he was born to be. Even as Zach comes to terms with himself as a gay man, he is never free of constraint. As his devout sister Laura proclaims to him:
“Honesty is a selfish thing, Zach. Nothing good ever comes from it.”
This isn’t a feel-good book. It is a story about emotional survival against the odds, and without any but the most grudging support of those who matter most. From the start of the book, Zach Nance is on his own, and it remains so until the very last page. In one way this makes him heroic, but in another it is simply inexpressibly sad.
Michael Scott Garvin
By the author, 2016
ISBN 13: 9781519414731
Four stars
Sometimes, even unhappiness can’t cut you off from the place that made you.
Michael Scott Garvin has created a memoir-like tale about Zachariah Nance, a farm boy from Durango, Colorado. From his idyllic memories of childhood with his sisters, Laura and Kate, to the uncomfortable adolescence that finds him increasingly alienated from his family and community, the author takes us through Zach’s life. We are offered an intimate view of what it is to be the child of an Evangelical Christian family in the 1950s, a boy whose secrets create a burden so intolerable that the only relief is to leave.
“I was just a stupid kid and didn’t know God picked his favorites like the prettiest flowers from a garden.”
The beauty of Durango and the charms of a simple small-town childhood are contrasted with Zach’s increasing awareness of his difference from his peers, as he struggles to fit in in a way every gay man of a certain generation will accept with painful recognition.
“I grew into a young man who didn’t recognize his own face in the mirror.”
Even as Zach battles his own demons, tragedy shatters the tenuous happiness of his childhood, and through his eyes we watch the aftermath as it affects the lives of his whole family in unalterable ways, defining their individual futures even as tries to imagine what kind of future he might have. So this is a memoir not just about Zach, but about his sister and his parents. Zach’s struggle and pain as he seeks some kind of personal truth becomes inextricably linked to that of those he loves best.
“After all these years, I still wonder why God abandons a man when life gets bent and bruised beyond recognition.”
While the overall time-frame of the story arc takes us from the 1950s to the 1970s – possibly even into the 1980s – the internal chronology of the narrative is often puzzling, and left me confused as to the actual time of different events in Zach’s life. I suppose this is unimportant to most readers, for whom the emotional state of Zach and his family are what matters, and that is depicted with painful clarity.
Ultimately, this is the story about a boy growing up and moving away from a place where he feels profoundly out of synch with the world into which he was born. But it is also, more painfully, about a man who never manages to integrate his past and his present; his happiness and his sorrows. To the very end, Zach Nance is the faithful son of the title, and never quite manages to tie his present and his past into any sort of bearable whole. The rigid conformity of his childhood religious upbringing never allows him to be both who he is and who he was born to be. Even as Zach comes to terms with himself as a gay man, he is never free of constraint. As his devout sister Laura proclaims to him:
“Honesty is a selfish thing, Zach. Nothing good ever comes from it.”
This isn’t a feel-good book. It is a story about emotional survival against the odds, and without any but the most grudging support of those who matter most. From the start of the book, Zach Nance is on his own, and it remains so until the very last page. In one way this makes him heroic, but in another it is simply inexpressibly sad.
October 4, 2016
I'm not sure what I can say about this wonderful novel that hasn't already been said. The writing is superb and the pacing is excellent. Unlike so many other writers, Garvin patiently constructs a compelling plot with nuanced characters. I'm not overly fond of description, but each colorful thread enhanced the beautiful tapestry of the story. I lost my dad about six months ago to ALS and could relate, on a very personal level, with the protagonist's journey. I loved everything about this book and admire Garvin for his courage and fortitude in writing it.
October 9, 2016
Absolutely beautiful story about family, faith, and finding your place in the world. If you're looking for a light read with a major "heat factor" this isn't the book for you. But if you are looking for a lovely woven tapestry of words, filled with rich and detailed characters, combined with an intimate look at life in a small town, you'll love this book. Michael Scott Garvin shows us the many faces of love and loss and how, sometimes, they are one and the same. My first book by this author, and I'll be looking forward to the release of his next novel.
April 7, 2018
Hitting home
I have never felt such a connection to a book. Move the location of growing up to a large city like Houston and you have part of my story. The connection between a gay son and mother are strong. The nervousness,thrill and passion in this book are wonderfully told. What you think no one knows is often already known...family and friends know all without telling.
I have never felt such a connection to a book. Move the location of growing up to a large city like Houston and you have part of my story. The connection between a gay son and mother are strong. The nervousness,thrill and passion in this book are wonderfully told. What you think no one knows is often already known...family and friends know all without telling.
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March 3, 2019I can't rate this book. Michael Scott Garvin is a fantastic writer. The characters he writes become real people living real lives and battling real problems. There were moments during the reading when I paused to admire how he described a scene so beautifully. If you rated books on their writing, this is a five. My problem lies in the fact that the more I read of the story, the less I enjoyed it. The final section of the book was especially painful, as parts of it mirrored things I had to go through in my own life. There was so much sadness in this book that I can't honestly say I liked it for that reason. I much prefer his second book, Aunt Sookie and Me, because it balanced more humor with the pain.
February 11, 2017
In A Faithful Son, Michael Scott Garvin tells the story of the Nance family and life in the southwest Colorado town of Durango through the eyes of the middle child, Zach Nance. The writing style is reminiscent of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and I don’t make the comparison with that modern classic lightly. This is a literary, absorbing, poignant work.
We meet the Nance’s in the early 1960s when Zach is about 8 or 9 years old. While life isn’t perfect for the family, there is the flavor of an idyllic childhood to Zach’s younger years. Durango is a small town but the Nance’s are woven into its fabric. They are in no way outsiders and the benefits of that familiarity and close knit community are felt and seen in Zach’s descriptions of life. The fish bowl of a small town can be positive when that bowl is filled with love, neighborly support, and a willingness to share.
The title A Faithful Son is a perfect choice for the book and for Zach Nance. Zach is raised by a devoutly religious mother. His father is neutral as to organized religion but supportive of his wife and children’s churchgoing. Church life is the influential and welcome center of familial and social activities. When a pivotal tragedy befalls the Nance’s, their church family is there to buoy them. Zach has a personal experience as a child that makes his faith a very real and personal thing to him. Though as he ages, formal religion is less of a fixture in his life, his faithfulness to family and to a certain sort of teaching of the protestant faiths, remains part of his character and manhood.
Some of the strongest writing and storytelling in the book is the arc of the relationship between Zach and his older sister. The two are very close friends, a united front, during their childhood. Though only a year older than himself, Zach clearly looks up to his sister and her approbation is important to him. Their eventual growing apart later in life, as naturally happens when they each pursue different vocations, establish intimate relationships, develop different life dreams and goals, is tenderly and thoughtfully explicated. The loss of closeness between siblings is a real, if natural, part of growing up, especially where physical distance and differing life experiences (family status, financial status, etc.) work to mold the people with nearly identical backgrounds into two individuals. That loss of closeness has its melancholy moments and Garvin brings those into the foreground for examination in the life of Zach Nance.
My only criticism of A Faithful Son is that it could have withstood better editing at the end of the story. I don’t know if there was a rush to press, but in some cases lines and phrases are repeated only paragraphs apart. The timeline doesn’t always hold together and I think there are some historical inaccuracies that could be cleaned up (ie. answering machines were very much a rarity until the mid-80s and I’ m not sure there were direct flights from LA to Durango at the time.) Despite these minor problems, I still give the book five stars for the depth of characterization and marvelous storytelling.
We meet the Nance’s in the early 1960s when Zach is about 8 or 9 years old. While life isn’t perfect for the family, there is the flavor of an idyllic childhood to Zach’s younger years. Durango is a small town but the Nance’s are woven into its fabric. They are in no way outsiders and the benefits of that familiarity and close knit community are felt and seen in Zach’s descriptions of life. The fish bowl of a small town can be positive when that bowl is filled with love, neighborly support, and a willingness to share.
The title A Faithful Son is a perfect choice for the book and for Zach Nance. Zach is raised by a devoutly religious mother. His father is neutral as to organized religion but supportive of his wife and children’s churchgoing. Church life is the influential and welcome center of familial and social activities. When a pivotal tragedy befalls the Nance’s, their church family is there to buoy them. Zach has a personal experience as a child that makes his faith a very real and personal thing to him. Though as he ages, formal religion is less of a fixture in his life, his faithfulness to family and to a certain sort of teaching of the protestant faiths, remains part of his character and manhood.
Some of the strongest writing and storytelling in the book is the arc of the relationship between Zach and his older sister. The two are very close friends, a united front, during their childhood. Though only a year older than himself, Zach clearly looks up to his sister and her approbation is important to him. Their eventual growing apart later in life, as naturally happens when they each pursue different vocations, establish intimate relationships, develop different life dreams and goals, is tenderly and thoughtfully explicated. The loss of closeness between siblings is a real, if natural, part of growing up, especially where physical distance and differing life experiences (family status, financial status, etc.) work to mold the people with nearly identical backgrounds into two individuals. That loss of closeness has its melancholy moments and Garvin brings those into the foreground for examination in the life of Zach Nance.
My only criticism of A Faithful Son is that it could have withstood better editing at the end of the story. I don’t know if there was a rush to press, but in some cases lines and phrases are repeated only paragraphs apart. The timeline doesn’t always hold together and I think there are some historical inaccuracies that could be cleaned up (ie. answering machines were very much a rarity until the mid-80s and I’ m not sure there were direct flights from LA to Durango at the time.) Despite these minor problems, I still give the book five stars for the depth of characterization and marvelous storytelling.
October 18, 2016
This may be Michael Scott Garvin's first book but he is definitely gifted with words. I know a book is excellent when I lose sleep to complete it! I have to admit that the title sure was true to the ending and a bit of a surprise. Cannot wait for Aunt Sookie & Me in 2017!
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