Sins of the Father

by Felicia Madlock

Book Overview

Devoted, caring and dedicated: these are the words that spring to Sammie Jr's mind when he thinks of his dead father, Samuel Street' Johnson. Player, liar and deceiver: those are the words Sammie's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• ISBN: 0739445588
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: urban books
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Daddy Dearest

I thought "Sins of a Father" was well written and quite interesting. The book dealt with infidelity, fatal attraction, love, abandonment, drug abuse, sports, etc. It was a clear example of how men who grow up without a father (even if their mother is a positive role model) tend to despise their father, yet they follow in their footsteps by misleading women or ditching their offspring.

Fast Paced Page Turner

Some people may not agree with this review because I see many did not like this book. But once again I have to be honest this book drew me in from the first page and I could not put it down until I knew what was going to happen to Sammie. See the story goes like this Sammie's mom and dad get killed in a car crash when the story begins, he then gets shuffled to his dopefiend aunt's house. His aunt turns about to be a selfish money hungry wench who makes Sammie's life a living hell. This novel is filled with drama and much suspense it makes you want to be a speed reader just to find out the ending. Oh and what an ending it was!!!! I feel like if you buy this book you will not be losing out.

Great Debut Book-Recommended Read

I read this book in less than two days, and thoroughly enjoy it. The previous reviewer was totally in left field,but she has a right to express her opinion. The subject of "absentee fathers" were explored through the voices of his sons, and I definitely felt the anger and bitterness from Terrance and Malik, and the grieving from Sammie. WOW! I could literally picture the surroundings of the projects that Sammie was forced to live in with his crazy a** aunt, Crystal. The pages kept turning for me, and i will definitely tell my friends to run and get this book "Sins of the Father". Felicia put me on your mailing list, I eagerly await your next novel....Urban Books definitely have a winner in this talented writer.

Sins of the father reviewed

Sins of the father is a feel good book. The author captures your emotions and draws you into the life of Sammie. I could not put the book down until I knew the fate of this character. The ending gives a good mix of suspense and then closure...... A real feel good book.

Have you thought of the consequence?

"Poppa was a rolling stone" best characterizes Samuel "Street" Jamieson, the father portrayed in Sins of the Father. During the course of his lifetime he fathers four sons by three different women and when he and his wife die tragically, those attending his funeral have many different perceptions. Words such as "caring, devoted father" don't ring true for his three oldest children --Terrence, Malik and Bernard. They mourned his passing years before his death, when he unceremoniously walked out of their lives. His youngest son Sammie feels differently since he is the only one to benefit, even for a short time, from a father in his life.Sammie was forced into a different lifestyle when he was orphaned at such a young age. He moves from spacious and comfortable dwellings into the projects with his father's only surviving relative, a crack head sister. Plagued with troubles of her own, she only sees dollar signs when taking in her nephew. Surprisingly, young Sammie continues to thrive and show promise in his new school. The teachers and principal take notice of his achievements and want to assure his continued academic success. He finds refuge in an after-school program where he can seek safety and shelter, talk out issues and nurture his passion - basketball, sometimes even with Bernard Christian, an up and coming NBA draft hopeful. This is the highlight of Sammie's dismal life. Through his interaction at the center everybody comes to love this mild mannered, smart but lonely kid.The plot thickens and the "sins of the father" can no longer be hidden. The emotions of the older sons and the younger son collide dramatically. There is plenty of physical as well as emotional action. Enough passion to keep the reader turning pages to find out which path Sammie's life will take. Character development was paramount in this story. I think each character was sufficiently developed to engage the reader. You felt something for each character mentioned and although there were many, each added successfully to the story. The dialogue flowed to make reading a breeze and you come away from the reading experience with a different perspective on how children develop with and without father figures. I'm not sure the original intent of the writing of Sins of the Father was to walk away with a moral, but one is clearly present, and to me I find its inclusion a bonus.