What do you think?
Rate this book
Father & Son
‘Everyone’s favourite uncle, no one’s responsible father.’
Taken away as a baby, Jarred was brought up by his maternal aunt and uncle. When he discovers his biological father, Solomon, he is filled with many unanswered questions.
Why didn’t his father want to be part of his life?
What part had his grandparents played in the separation?
How did he piece together the missing years and why didn’t his grandparents mention his mother, who died in childbirth?
A thoughtful tale of loss and prejudice and how it drives a wedge between families. Was Grace right? Only the reader can decide. It’s not all black & white.
Taken away as a baby, Jarred was brought up by his maternal aunt and uncle. When he discovers his biological father, Solomon, he is filled with many unanswered questions.
Why didn’t his father want to be part of his life?
What part had his grandparents played in the separation?
How did he piece together the missing years and why didn’t his grandparents mention his mother, who died in childbirth?
A thoughtful tale of loss and prejudice and how it drives a wedge between families. Was Grace right? Only the reader can decide. It’s not all black & white.
250 pages, Paperback
Published May 22, 2016
4 people want to read
About the author
Tracey Madeley
3 books51 followersI have a PhD in Eighteenth-Century gothic literature from Keele University.
I enjoy literature, philosophy, and the impact of modern society on people's lives. My writing is informed by social concerns, ecology, and disability. Peaceful Meadows is my first novel and deals with an alternative hippie lifestyle.
I enjoy literature, philosophy, and the impact of modern society on people's lives. My writing is informed by social concerns, ecology, and disability. Peaceful Meadows is my first novel and deals with an alternative hippie lifestyle.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 8, 2016
Jarred grew up with a woman he thought of as his mother and a man he thought of as his father, but he couldn’t be more wrong. At twenty one he discovers Solomon, his real father is still alive and his mother passed away in a home delivery. The book details the journey of father and son reconciliation and bonding which is certainly emotional and touching in places.
The book has a strong premise but has areas of potential improvement that some editing could sort out.The story flows, but the scenes and point of view shift so many times within a chapter as a reader I do not know who to follow anymore. People keep nodding before they say something I get worried they will get a headache! The people that live with Jarred and Solomon in the commune all have their own stories. Though they are included, they do not contribute much to the central issue of developing the bond between the father and the son.
All the same, I loved that eventually the two got so close they could hug and share some quality father and son time.
The book has a strong premise but has areas of potential improvement that some editing could sort out.The story flows, but the scenes and point of view shift so many times within a chapter as a reader I do not know who to follow anymore. People keep nodding before they say something I get worried they will get a headache! The people that live with Jarred and Solomon in the commune all have their own stories. Though they are included, they do not contribute much to the central issue of developing the bond between the father and the son.
All the same, I loved that eventually the two got so close they could hug and share some quality father and son time.
July 22, 2016
There is much to like in this story of a young man who learns that his real father lives and that they had been separated by unfortunate circumstances. We find him already in the commune in Wales that his biological father manages, surrounded by gentle souls with different motivations. But voices are rarely raised and seductions unaccompanied by drama let alone violence. Family scenes are handled with compassion; characters are drawn with sympathy.
At the very beginning, the author intrudes to tell us about Jarred’s discovery about his father Solomon: “A revelation of this nature was enough to transform anyone’s world.” Why not show us, describe the time and place, perhaps outlining the circumstances leading up to that event and allow the consequences to unfold with clarity?
The author needs to have more clearly in mind the timeline of the story. There are many “sub-plots” – for example, the consequences of an indifference (?) to birth-control - that do not all contribute to the main one even though they add to the atmosphere of the book. But there is grit in the way: capitalization is simply careless, wrong words (sometimes confused homonyms) litter the writing, antecedents of pronouns are sometimes unclear. It may be unfair but these technicalities do get in the way of a reader’s enjoyment of the story.
At the very beginning, the author intrudes to tell us about Jarred’s discovery about his father Solomon: “A revelation of this nature was enough to transform anyone’s world.” Why not show us, describe the time and place, perhaps outlining the circumstances leading up to that event and allow the consequences to unfold with clarity?
The author needs to have more clearly in mind the timeline of the story. There are many “sub-plots” – for example, the consequences of an indifference (?) to birth-control - that do not all contribute to the main one even though they add to the atmosphere of the book. But there is grit in the way: capitalization is simply careless, wrong words (sometimes confused homonyms) litter the writing, antecedents of pronouns are sometimes unclear. It may be unfair but these technicalities do get in the way of a reader’s enjoyment of the story.
October 14, 2016
A good story cantered around a son who only meets his father as a late teenager and has to work out a relationship with him at the same time as working out a relationship with a girl he falls in love with.
The father works in a commune and we are taken into the lives of several of the others in the commune.
My reservations are that I never felt I got inside any of the characters, and that the narrative was rather rambling. This meant that that not only was it hard at the beginning to work out what was happening, but there was little drama in the story as it unfolded – and given the subject matter, there could have been. The services of a good editor could have rectified the situation, I think.
Nonetheless it was well written, with a good turn of phrase and a good eye dialogue, which made it an enjoyable read
The father works in a commune and we are taken into the lives of several of the others in the commune.
My reservations are that I never felt I got inside any of the characters, and that the narrative was rather rambling. This meant that that not only was it hard at the beginning to work out what was happening, but there was little drama in the story as it unfolded – and given the subject matter, there could have been. The services of a good editor could have rectified the situation, I think.
Nonetheless it was well written, with a good turn of phrase and a good eye dialogue, which made it an enjoyable read
September 25, 2017
It is a shame i couldn't enjoy this story.It didn't seem to flow for me and i would have liked a better picture of the situation or circumstances leading up to jarred discovering his natural father Solomon.
Regretfully for me the story seemed fragmented
Regretfully for me the story seemed fragmented
October 12, 2016
Tracey Madeley’s Father and Son (revised) examines the challenges faced by those wanting to live an alternative and moral life within a commune of similarly-minded individuals in the face of prejudice and misunderstanding.
I think it is fair to say that most of the characters are flawed and fragile and, in fact, drama and tension come to the fore when these individuals are revealed as suffering the same jabs of jealousy, sexual incontinence, deception and self-delusion as less high-minded individuals outside the commune.
Father and Son follows Jarred after the death of his (assumed) mother and we watch him develop from his tentative beginnings to a point where he can assert himself and take control of situations. Jarred’s father, Solomon, who leads the commune, is called upon to account for himself and his actions during Jarred’s birth and upbringing. Can the two halves of Jarred’s life can be reconciled allowing Solomon, particularly, to find peace of mind and a sense of closure?
The author is accomplished at pinpointing tensions within a group of people and uses dialogue to keep pace and variety going. I particularly liked her portrayal of the Irish family. Tracey Madeley allows her engaging sense of humour to rise to the surface, usually during romantic encounters.
I do have some criticisms of this work. Set during the Thatcherite 1980s, I didn’t feel that we learnt anything new but rather that the text recycled some fairly well-worn mantras – the right of a woman to choose her own career including nude modelling if she wishes, prejudice against unmarried mothers, capitalism and the role of the state. The characters can be two-dimensional, mouthing political theory rather than true emotion to the detriment of the reading experience.
Having said that, there are times when the dialogue is pacey and feisty and interesting. This works - not when ideas and concepts are forced unrealistically out of the characters’ mouths.
The author clearly has an ability to observe and capture tensions and complexities. I would suggest, in her next project, she allows her characters to find their own voice rather than become political mouthpieces.
I think it is fair to say that most of the characters are flawed and fragile and, in fact, drama and tension come to the fore when these individuals are revealed as suffering the same jabs of jealousy, sexual incontinence, deception and self-delusion as less high-minded individuals outside the commune.
Father and Son follows Jarred after the death of his (assumed) mother and we watch him develop from his tentative beginnings to a point where he can assert himself and take control of situations. Jarred’s father, Solomon, who leads the commune, is called upon to account for himself and his actions during Jarred’s birth and upbringing. Can the two halves of Jarred’s life can be reconciled allowing Solomon, particularly, to find peace of mind and a sense of closure?
The author is accomplished at pinpointing tensions within a group of people and uses dialogue to keep pace and variety going. I particularly liked her portrayal of the Irish family. Tracey Madeley allows her engaging sense of humour to rise to the surface, usually during romantic encounters.
I do have some criticisms of this work. Set during the Thatcherite 1980s, I didn’t feel that we learnt anything new but rather that the text recycled some fairly well-worn mantras – the right of a woman to choose her own career including nude modelling if she wishes, prejudice against unmarried mothers, capitalism and the role of the state. The characters can be two-dimensional, mouthing political theory rather than true emotion to the detriment of the reading experience.
Having said that, there are times when the dialogue is pacey and feisty and interesting. This works - not when ideas and concepts are forced unrealistically out of the characters’ mouths.
The author clearly has an ability to observe and capture tensions and complexities. I would suggest, in her next project, she allows her characters to find their own voice rather than become political mouthpieces.
August 3, 2016
Father & Son is the story of a young man who meets his biological father when he comes to live in the commune his father manages. The story is told though the eyes of many of the commune residents and changes back and forth from one resident to the other, many of them young college students.
This is a budding novel from an emerging author. It's a lovely story of Jarred's transition into life at his father's commune, learning the problems his father has had dealing with his mother's death and being reunited with his sweetheart, Fleur. It took me a few reads to sort out the first chapter to find out what was really happening and who was involved. I'm wondering if this is the second book in a series.
This would appeal to a YA audience and would benefit from a copy edit.
This is a budding novel from an emerging author. It's a lovely story of Jarred's transition into life at his father's commune, learning the problems his father has had dealing with his mother's death and being reunited with his sweetheart, Fleur. It took me a few reads to sort out the first chapter to find out what was really happening and who was involved. I'm wondering if this is the second book in a series.
This would appeal to a YA audience and would benefit from a copy edit.
July 31, 2016
The book is good and involves various characters who present their own stories which leads to lack of clarity while reading the book.Jarred finds his Dad and slowly bonds with him...talking about his mother and how the two met and all..The bond develops to be good. Every father has a bond with his son that can be unique and sweet or both as well; here it was a different one and happy. The story was overall good but wasn't strong for me though i found it sweet and a bit interesting.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews