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Synopsis
With the same passion and insight he brought to The Harris Men, RM Johnson offers a gripping look at a pressing social issue -- and a rare window into the contemporary male psyche.
Father Found
As founder of an organization that tracks down deadbeat dads and holds them accountable to the children they abandoned, Zale Rowen is no ordinary nine-to-fiver. Fiercely devoted to Father Found and its mission, he is all but obsessed. And though Zale's heart is in the right place, his life begins to spiral out of control as he is pulled further into Chicago's underbelly in his pursuit of homeless youth and delinquent dads. Soon he is ruining his most valued relationships, jeopardizing his life, and undermining the very organization for which he has sacrificed everything.
Forced to take a step back and examine his behavior, Zale is finally beginning to face the dark, long-repressed secrets motivating him when he is blindsided by a shocking revelation that challenges everything he holds true.
As in his acclaimed debut, RM Johnson weaves a deeply engaging novel of family and self-sacrifice. Unflinching yet compassionate, Father Found is a testament to the power of forgiveness, and a striking commentary on our times.
Library Journal
Zale Rowen's nonprofit organization Father Found finds deadbeat dads and helps them to at least contact their children and be a part of their lives. But his good intentions have turned into a single-minded, torturous nightmare for the men he says he only wants to help. Zale is obsessed with his work, driven by memories of childhood abuse by his drugged-out mom and a foster caregiver. Ex-cop Frank Rames, who once saved Zale's life, does legwork for the organization and is haunted by the death of his son in a drunk driving accident he caused. But unknown to Zale, Frank doles out beatings to the men he finds in order to get them to comply. Zale's business partner, Martin Carter, has problems with his unfaithful wife, and the business itself is nearly bankrupt. Like Johnson's first novel, The Harris Men (LJ 4/15/99), the book is well intentioned yet rather depressing. The women are one-dimensional, while the men are bullies with selfish, forgettable personalities and hidden agendas. Such a serious plot could have used a little comic relief and characters whom readers could care about. Mildly recommended for large libraries seeking African American fiction.--Shirley Gibson Coleman, Ann Arbor Dist. Lib., MI Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\