Raising the Dad

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"Raising the Dad mines family dysfunction for all of its complex truths and wild emotions. Tom Matthews strikes the damnedest balance-aching loss, brutal humor-as his befuddled protagonist deals with mind-blowing circumstances."-Darin Strauss, author of Chang and Eng and Half-A-Life "The sensitivity and unexpected humor that Tom Matthews brings to this emotionally complex book extends to the protagonist's rock singer brother." -Producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) In Raising the Dad, John Husted's life is complicated, although not in any remarkable way. His marriage has slipped into a state of passionless functionality. His teenage daughter is growing distant and mean. His older brother-a washed-up heavy-metal singer-is fresh out of jail, and his mother is slipping away to dementia. And then an incredible secret about the family is forced upon John. By the time he finds a way to resolve the situation as best he can, the relationships within his family are changed forever in shocking and profoundly moving ways.

Reviews

Praise for Raising the Dad:

In this touching story of a father and son reconnecting in an extremely unconventional way, Matthews (Like We Care, 2004) provokes tough questions surrounding death and confronts the complicated choice to either end or sustain a loved one's life. Delivered with humility and humor, a seemingly unbelievable scenario becomes very real and brings a family at the brink of falling apart back together.--Booklist

Raising the Dad mines family dysfunction for all of its complex truths and wild emotions. Tom Matthews strikes the damnedest balance--aching loss, brutal humor--as his befuddled protagonist deals with mind-blowing circumstances.--Darin Strauss, author of Chang and Eng and Half-A-Life

Tom Matthews' Raising the Dad winningly gives us the dark joys of watching an unhappy family struggling to right their listing, leaking ship. John Husted--a man saddened and saddled in familiar ways--is thrown even more for a loop when the unimaginable happens. A wonderful tale of how families, despite themselves, endure. --CJ Hribal, author of The Company Car

The sensitivity and unexpected humor that Tom Matthews brings to this emotionally complex book extends to the protagonist's rock singer brother, who over the course of this incredible family saga goes from heavy metal almost-was to tribute band washout to simply a mother's son. --Producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Foo Fighters)

Raising the Dad is a quickly engaging novel that is both timely and timeless, with vivid, original characters that the reader will feel connected to immediately and lively writing that tells an intriguing story.--Liz Moore author of The Unseen World and Heft

Author Bio

Tom Matthews wrote the Costa-Gavras film Mad City, starring Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. His satirical novel Like We Care was published in 2004 to great acclaim. His work as a feature writer and commentator has been published in Milwaukee Magazine, Creative Screenwriting, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Baltimore Sun, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other publications. He is an essayist on Milwaukee Public Radio's Lake Effect.