Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son [Hardcover]

Jonathan Bach (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993

The author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull provides the introduction to a work in which his son describes his yearning for his absent father, the anguish he felt about his father's actions, and their reunion. 100,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1970, newly rich and famous from the success of Jonathan Livingston Seagull , Richard Bach, Jonathan Bach's father, left his wife, Bette, and their six children when Jonathan was two. "Jonny," who was named after the improbable bird, here tells about life in the fractured family after his father's "daddy-part died," as Bette put it. The boy grew up thinking dads were "redundant" and was content working with his mother, a pilot who sold airplane rides at fields in New England. After his mother married a draconian taskmaster, Jonny clung closer still to Bethany, his younger sister and best friend. But when Jonny was 16, he was at the wheel during a car crash that injured him--and killed Bethany. His father and his second wife, Leslie, seemed to ignore the tragedy, deepening Jonny's resentment and sense of abandonment. Yet readers will sense the coming rapprochement. Swayed by Richard and Leslie's side of the story, Jonny now lives near them in Seattle, far from his mother in Vermont. His writing debut is promising if naive and too long, unfortunately showing the influence of his father, who supplies a gushy afterword.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Jonathan Bach was named for the famous seagull created by his father, the author Richard Bach. When Jonathan was two, his parents divorced. There was little contact between father and son for the next 20 years. Jonathan describes his longing, anger, resentment, and confusion at being unable to know his father and his joy at their reconciliation and the new relationship they are building. Unfortunately, this book is episodic rather than analytical, and the writing is amateurish. It reports what happened but provides little understanding of the complex characters involved in this sad domestic drama. And though Jonathan intends readers to admire his father, Richard Bach comes across as smug and self-satisfied, and Jonathan himself lacks self-awareness. Recommended only for libraries with a high demand for Richard Bach's books.
- Judy Mimken, Saginaw Valley State Univ., Mich.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 287 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688117600
• ISBN-13: 978-0688117603
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #886,635 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile new perspective on Richard Bach, March 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son (Hardcover)

This is a really great book, by a young man who is a superb writer in his own right. I picked up the book at the library (since it's now out of print) because I was devastated to learn (under the reviews of Bridge Across Forever) that Richard Bach and Leslie Parrish-Bach had split up. I was surprised to learn that Richard Bach even had six (!) kids, and even more surprised to learn that one was a writer. I thought it would be interesting to read his story, because I wanted a more realistic view of Richard Bach, the "guru of soulmates" (as Jonathan amusingly refers to his father in Above the Clouds).

It was good to get this other view of Richard Bach. It's so easy to idealize the guy, even though he is clearly far from perfect. In Richard's books, he and Leslie come off as so mystical and always in tune with each other. Jonathan's book provides a refreshing point of view on Richard Bach, the man who couldn't hack fatherhood and who abandoned his family to find his own fulfillment. (He could well be the patron saint of the Me Generation.) Lord knows what happened to split up Richard and Leslie, but Jonathan's account of his reconciliation with his father was inspiring -- a great reminder that those of us with less-than-perfect parents can ultimately come to peace with them. I recommend this for all Richard Bach fans ... it really does cut the guy down to size and bring him back to earth.

I'm looking forward to the next offering by Jonathan Bach ... it's been seven years since this book came out. Anyone know what he's been up to since then?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A MUST for Richard Bach fans!, December 16, 2002

By 

Thomas McSally (Norwalk, CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son (Hardcover)

The author of Above The Clouds, Jonathan Bach, was two years old when his father, famous author Richard Bach, decided he must leave his family and follow his dreams. Jonathan, named after his father's most famous character Jonathan Livingston Seagull, tells us what it was like growing up with an absentee father.

His description of family life with his brothers and sisters is vividly told and the tragic death of a family member is especially poignant. When his mother re-marries we experience the confusion and adjustments that have to be made to accommodate his strict new stepfather. Jonathan's decision to study Journalism was obviously a good choice as he shows in Above the Clouds that he has a rare talent for keeping his readers captivated.

Jonathan eventually makes the agonizing decision to call his father and let him know what he thinks of him. We experience the chest pounding fear first hand when he finally dials the number and talks to his father for the first time in years

I bought this book out of curiosity about Richard Bach; I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself more interested in Jonathan and his story and at how well he told it. Jonathan's style is easy to read and well organized and you'll find yourself experiencing his pain and joy as the book unfolds.

If you can find a copy of this book I enthusiastically recommend it! Jonathan, write another one!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Behind the Scenes with Richard Bach!, August 20, 2001

By 

Darthjal "Darthjal" (North America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son (Hardcover)

I read this immediately after finishing The Bridge Across Forever. It was like watching a "behind-the-scenes" documentary about one of my favorite movies!

Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but it's interesting to see how the events in Richard's life from "Bridge" are reflected in Jonathan's account. It's not often enough that you get to see the same story told from different points of view. It was fascinating to be able to attach the events in "Bridge" to the events in this book. Also, because Jonathan is about my age, it was interesting to remember what *I* was doing at the time he made some of his journal entries.

Originally I picked up this book to get a look at the nonfiction side of Richard Bach. I had always wondered what kind of dad a guy like Richard would be, and whether or not he truly managed to live up to his ideals. The answers were indeed in this book. But I realized two other things as well:

1. Forget about Richard, this is a great book about parents and children and the difficulty of mending (or in this case, demolishing) fences between the generations. Even if no one had ever heard of Richard Bach, this would have been a great book in that respect.

2. Jonathan Bach is a GREAT writer, and I really hope he has another book in the works! I had wondered if Jonathan would be a sort of Richard Lite. Having read Above the Clouds, I would have to say no, Jonathan Bach is Jonathan Bach, period. His style is similar, but distinctly different.