Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Book Review: father's day by Buzz Bissinger

Twenty four years ago, twin boys were born to Buzz and Debra Bissinger. Three minutes made the difference for Gerry, now a graduate student at Penn, and Zach, a special needs young man. Three minutes made a difference for a marriage (ended) and perceptions of fatherhood and life.

Buzz Bissinger decides to take a road trip with Zach, now twenty four, from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to learn about his son and ultimately himself. Throw perceptions and assumptions out the car window. Buzz discovers that Zach's world has a certain logic and that Zach is growing, patient, kind, fearless, and is a hardworking (at Target) young man of character (who's uncanny with maps and directions - highly useful on a road trip).

The author of father's day writes a book full of insight, humor and reality. As father and son revisit their past, old friends, and voluntarily go to Odessa, TX (Buzz claims this has to be a travel first), they talk, encounter frustrations, enjoy amusement parks, and bond. Zach loves his father at total face value - that shines through. Buzz discovers deeper layers of love, rids himself of guilts, and truly respects Zach for his uniqueness.

Three minutes does define a life, but never in the way I had always imagined. So many times I never thought I would get there. But we are a family, all different, sometimes divided, sometimes in pain, but unconquerable. Father's Day.   Buzz Bissinger

1 comment: