It's a parent's worst nightmare as shots have been fired
at the local high school. Simon Connelly has been the
stay at home father for Laney and Jake, while his wife,
Rachel, works. As time ticks by, Simon and Rachel are
reunited with Laney but Jake remains missing. Simon is
determined to find Jake, even as he begins questioning
his own parenting. Where is Jake and what role did he
play in the day's events?
FINDING JAKE alternates between the past and the present
as Simon recollects various moments in Jake's life. I
love that we see the perspective of a stay at home father
who has navigated a world dominated by mothers. The
inherent prejudice against a stay at home father
(especially when the mother is working) is subtle but
exists and Bryan Reardon does a marvelous job at
conveying the nuances. Simon's own insecurities are
exacerbated by his fear of what happened to Jake. Did he
make a mistake with Jake that ruined him forever?
I read FINDING JAKE in one sitting as I couldn't go to
bed until I knew the final outcome. Society can be cruel
to those who are a bit different, and even crueler to the
parents left behind after such a horrendous act. Simon
struggles with his own emotions and doubt, while facing
the pressure from the unrelenting media as even his
neighbors shun them. There is one scene in particular
when Simon faces Doug's mother that for me truly
encapsulates the entire story.
FINDING JAKE is a gut-wrenching and brutally honest tale
of a father's love for his son, even as he questions
whether or not his son has committed an unthinkable
crime. Simon\'s own reactions and experiences are just as
interesting as discovering what happened to Jake, perhaps
even more so as the societal urge to blame the parents for
the actions of the child are so prevalent.
FINDING
JAKE is an emotional and thought provoking tale that
should be read by everyone, as it makes one question how
we treat others, particularly in times of crisis.
FINDING JAKE is brilliantly done and highly recommended!
A heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting story of
psychological suspense in which a parent is forced to
confront what he does—and does not—know about his teenage
son
For sixteen years, Simon Connelly's successful
wife has gone to her law office each day, while he has
stayed home to raise their children. Though Simon has
loved
taking care of Jake and Laney, it has cost him a part of
himself, and has made him an anomaly in his pretty,
suburban
neighborhood—the only stay-at-home dad among a tight
circle
of mothers.
Shepherding them through childhood, the
angst-ridden father has tried to do the best for the kids,
even if he often second-guesses his choices. For sunny,
outgoing Laney, it's been easy. But quiet Jake has always
preferred the company of his books or his sister to
playdates and organized sports. Now that they are in high
school, Simon should feel more relaxed, but he doesn't.
He's
seen the statistics, read the headlines.
Then, on a
warm November day, he receives a text: There has been a
shooting at the high school.
Racing to the
rendezvous
point, Simon is forced to wait with scores of other
anxious
fathers and tearful mothers, overwhelmed by the disturbing
questions running through his head. How many victims were
there? Why did this happen? One by one, parents are
reunited
with their children. Their numbers dwindle, until Simon is
alone. Laney has gone home with her mom. Jake is the only
child missing.
As his worst nightmare unfolds,
Simon
begins to obsess over the past, searching for answers, for
hope, for the memory of the boy he raised, for the
mistakes
he must have made, for the reason everything came to this.
Where is Jake? What happened in those final moments? Is it
possible he doesn't really know his son? Or he knows him
better than he thought? Jake could not have done this—or
could he?
As rumors begin to ricochet, amplified by
an invasive media, Simon must find answers. But there is
only one way to understand what has happened . . . he must
find Jake.
A story of faith and conviction, strength
and courage, love and doubt that is harrowing and
heartbreaking, surprisingly healing and redemptive,
Finding Jake asks us to consider how well we know
ourselves . . . and those we love.