Guest Review: The Good Father – Diane Chamberlain

A beloved daughter. A devastating choice. And now there’s no going back.

Four years ago, nineteen-year-old Travis Brown made a choice: to raise his newborn daughter on his own. While most of his friends were out partying and meeting girls, Travis was at home, changing diapers and worrying about keeping food on the table. But he’s never regretted his decision. Bella is the light of his life. The reason behind every move he makes. And so far, she is fed. Cared for. Safe.

But when Travis loses his construction job and his home, the security he’s worked so hard to create for Bella begins to crumble…….

Then a miracle. A job in Raleigh has the power to turn their fortunes around. It has to. But when Travis arrives in Raleigh, there is no job, only an offer to participate in a onetime criminal act that promises quick money and no repercussions.

With nowhere else to turn, Travis must make another choice for his daughter’s sake.Even if it means he might lose her.

Series:
Release Date:  April 4, 2012
Publisher:  Mira
Source:  NetGalley
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

Diane Chamberlain books are more than just a read, they are an emotional experience.  She has a unique ability to write material that affects you deeply, giving you characters that are easy to love.  She uses subject matter that pushes the limits of your own comfort and causes you to ask yourself just how far you’d go, if the situation were your own.  This book did just that.

The characters that the author has created are complex, raw and real.  They all have their own personal demons to face, pasts that they are constantly reminded of, and internal conflicts that we, as readers can at some point relate to on a very deep level.  The character that the story centers on, Travis is an incredibly likeable guy.  He would move Heaven and Earth for his little girl, Bella, and he’s traded in his immaturity and youth for the responsibility of raising a child.  It’s a beautiful scenario, set up wonderfully.  So when everything falls apart for him, it’s difficult not to tear up, and feel his desperation.  And when he’s faced with an extremely difficult choice, it’s impossible not to feel torn, just as he does.

This story is a true testament of the extreme lengths so many of us would go to protect those that we love and hold dear.  There is no greater love in the world than that of a self-sacrificing love between a parent and their child, and this book brings such an instance to life with a beautiful story that is touching, emotional, and deep.  If you’ve not read anything by Diane Chamberlain, I would recommend this as a great introduction, as it’s exactly why I love reading anything she writes.