Book Review: Odd Adventures With Your Other Father by Norman Prentiss
It’s the story of a father recounting his tales to his daughter of her “other father,” his partner who passed away when she was young. But there’s so much more going on within these retellings, much of which isn’t fully revealed until the end.
(Speaking of the ending, this is one of the best endings I’ve read in a novel — beautiful and touching, it was quite simply magical.)
What Prentiss accomplishes with this novel, beyond the clever storytelling and great characterizations, is a reverent look back at the challenges homosexual couples faced in the past, without ever getting on a soapbox about it. There’s no preaching here, but what you’ll find is a love story interwoven within these “odd adventures” that is as touching as it is poignant. In fact, I would highly suggest this read for any readers who do struggle with understanding or accepting homosexuality. It may just open your eyes and help you appreciate those who are different from your own ways of thinking without the heavy-handedness you might expect.
Beautiful, haunting, and cleverly told, this has made it onto my shelf of favorites for the year.