This is actually a companion book to a novel I read earlier this year called Isaac's Song. In that one, a young man named Isaac pens a series of personal diaries about growing up gay under his abusive father Jacob. DCFM is the reverse, with Jacob writing a series of letters to Isaac on his deathbed telling his life story from losing his brother as a child in rural Arkansas to married life in Kansas City and living alone after seperating from his wife.
As you'd expect it's really sad to read. Jacob is well aware of how badly he's driven away everyone who loved him and as much as he wants to reconnect with his son, is too afraid of what might happen to actually reach out. Jacob is not a good person, he flat out admits it but he also tried really hard in his later years to be better and explain why he treated Isaac the way he did and whether or not he deserves forgiveness or even peace of mind is something left up to the reader in both novels. It's a book I definitely recommend, its just 300 pages so you can finish it in just a couple sittings, but these two books work best as a back to back set so if you read one, I'd say read both. My rating 4/5 💙📚
by ShinyBlueChocobo