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Published Apr 2016
304 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
The moving story of an orphaned girl named Harvey and the troubled uncle who raises her - an unforgettable tale of loss and redemption.
At the age of six, a little girl named Harvey learns that her parents have died in a car accident. As she struggles to understand, a kindly social worker named Wanda introduces her to her only living relative: her uncle Jason, a disabled felon with a violent past and a criminal record. Despite his limitations - and his resistance - Wanda follows a hunch and cajoles Jason into becoming her legal guardian, convinced that each may be the other's last chance.
Moving between past and present, Father's Day weaves together the story of Harvey's childhood and her life as a young woman in Paris, as she awaits her uncle's arrival for a Father's Day visit. To mark the occasion, Harvey has planned a series of gifts for Jason - all leading to a revelation she believes will only deepen their bond.
With extraordinary empathy and emotional impact, the award-winning writer Simon Van Booy has crafted a simple yet luminous novel of loss and transcendence, second chances and forgiveness: a breakthrough work from one of our most gifted chroniclers of the human heart.
"Starred Review. [Van Booy] creates refreshing, humorous, yet poignant childhood milestones that the two reach with emotional honesty." - Publishers Weekly
"The tone often borders on the saccharine, and, though their relationship deepens, the characters don't. Despite this, there are moments of genuine emotion. Jason quits smoking for Harvey's sake, but when he won't share his nicotine gum, she's hurt. "That's so selfish," she says. "You never think about me." A sentimental story of the bond between father and child." - Kirkus
"With fine, nuanced prose and much tenderness, Booy guides this unlikely father-daughter pair into a beautiful maturity, showing us with great heart what it really means to be a family." - Elizabeth Crane, author of The History of Great Things
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Ken Browar
Simon Van Booy was born in Great Britain and grew up in rural Wales. He is the author ofThe Secret Lives of People in Love, Love Begins in Winter (winner of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award) and the novel, Everything Beautiful Began After. His latest novel is The Illusion of Separateness.
He is the editor of three philosophy books, titled Why We Fight, Why We Need Love, and Why Our Decisions Don't Matter. His essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, and ELLE Men, (China), where he has a monthly column. He has also written for the stage, National Public Radio, and the BBC.
Simon teaches part-time at SVA in Manhattan, and is ...
... Full Biography
Link to Simon Van Booy's Website
Name Pronunciation
Simon Van Booy: van boo-ee
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