Customer Reviews

Breaking Her Fall

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Breaking Her Fall" - the title says what we all feel about our daughters; about the peculiar loss of them as they enter the teenage years, the years in which their ability to be a person in their own right is eclipsed by the pressures of a society gone mad in depicting the sexuality of a "woman" as young as 14. Tucker's daughter Kat, at 14, is in the throes of this hormonal madness, and he doesn't even know it. Tucker's an oddity, a father who has won primary custody of daughter and son when his former wife moved up the social ladder and mostly out of their lives.

It's hard not to like Tucker, who's a self-made man, with a love for music and a need to be there for his children. It is with some trepidation that we watch him turn to rage when Kat is involved in a sex scandal at the home of a boy he knows nothing about. In slow motion, his rage leads to injury and disfigurement of the boy, and incarceration and trial. But his trials are many, both in trying to understand and protect his daughter, keep his younger son from fear, his love for his best friend's wife at bay, and himself from going mad.

The strain of parenting adolescents in this mixed up world is brought to the fore in Kat's tale, and although it is written in first person from Tucker's point of view, there is no doubt that author Stephen Goodwin was able to get inside the heads of all his main characters...from children Kat and Will to the amazing Lilly, from Trish, his ex-wife who attempts to preserve her motherhood from the tragedy, to the teenaged Jed Vandenberg, with a permanent scar from a heated misunderstanding. Goodwin makes them all come alive on the page. And he does more, something more, that, for me, brings the book to life - he brings in the ordinary; talks about the what the notes on his refrigerator say, talks about the demise of his marriage, has a remarkable reaction (like many of us) to the first time he hears the beautiful songs of the posthumous Eva Cassidy CD, "Songbird". ..."as I danced with my daughter, her eyes searching mine, the two of us just floating, I felt something give way inside of me....as though all our old love, every particle of it, had been restored to us by the music we were hearing."

As my own daughter grew up, I remember times of anger and despair that seemed like an out of body experience, and so it is with Tucker... in describing his violent reaction to young Jed Vandenburg, at a time where he had no idea where his 14-year old daughter was and if she was all right..."I can remember how the air seemed to stiffen and tighten, how every word and tiny gesture took on a huge significance, and how the hair on the back of my neck suddenly bristled".

Goodwin is a writer of style and grace, his book a revelation and a scare for parents and adolescents, a book that will stay with you longer than the details of the story itself.

A definite must read!

This book is awesome! From the first moment I cracked open Breaking Her Fall, I found myself a huge fan of Tucker Jones, rooting for his safe return from his perilous journey-entirely modern, entirely timeless-into all matters of the heart. Graceful, deft, humorous, more than a heartfelt account of fatherly love, Breaking is the story of a single father trying to reach his teenage daughter, his son; it's the story, also, of a man who must learn to put the past behind him and venture out into unchartered territory, towards relationships where love-meaningful love-is honored above safer, more complacent, constructs. By book's end I felt appropriately challenged-to love honestly; to love better. To find a love that matters. Thank you, Mr. Goodwin. You have delivered us a true gift: a story that is both a marvelous adventure and a call to action. Wake up! Read the book. Your heart will thank you.

The year is 1998 and the Clinton sex scandals are plaguing the White House; all over the country people are talking and passing judgment on the President. This unlikely setting forms the backdrop for Stephen Goodwin's ambitious, intelligent and somewhat overemotional story of teenage sex, and family relationships. Although to some extent melodramatic in places, Breaking Her Fall is still a very accomplished, and at times, quite riveting domestic drama, that really captures you from the outset, and embraces you in its entirety.

One night Tucker Jones, an American "ordinary man" - a loving and devoted father receives a hostile phone call from another parent who blames his thirteen-year-old daughter, Kat, for indulging in a drunken sexual orgy with some boys at a party. This sets of a chain reaction of violence and recrimination, which reverberates throughout Tucker's entire life affecting his children, his ex-wife, his current girlfriend, and his best friends. On the surface, the story passes for an attention-grabbing legal drama, where Tucker - accused of assaulting one of the boys - fights to save his reputation, and his innocence. But, in reality, the story is much more than this: Goodwin introduces us to a subtle domestic world seething with pent up tensions - strained relationships between ex-wives; father-daughter relationships that are not what they seem; unspoken sexual passions between best friends that are clandestinely acted upon, and teenage pregnancy which inevitably rears its controversial head.

Goodwin writes with a clear confidence of a professional, and he keeps the narrative taught and tight by placing the story in the first person and always telling the story through Tucker's point of view, The narrative flows with a gentleness and ease, never loosing sight of its focus, and the author is determined to share with us every aspect of Tucker's life - from his days doing drugs in college, to the history of his courtship with his ex-wife Trish, to his decision to leave the corporate world, and build an independent life for himself as a landscape gardener. The strength of Breaking Her Fall is also in its enthusiastically believable characters: There's the somewhat self-obsessed and hot-headed main protagonist Tucker, who doesn't think before he acts, but who loves his two children dearly; there's Kat, Tucker's teenage daughter - impetuous, rude, conflicted and unhappy, and there's Tucker's best friend Lily, naive and kind, whose only crime is to want more passion in her life and be the woman who Tucker really loves. There are lots of other supporting characters that weave with equal grace in and out of the narrative, each contributing their own stories, and each influencing Tucker's life in one way or another.

About half way through the book, the character of Lily, speaking at her father's funeral talks about how her father made her feel safe and rescued, and that if she "fell" her father would be there to catch her. Perhaps this reflects the thematic core of the novel in that there should always be someone there to catch us if we fall. Loneliness, loss, the inability to communicate, family structures, the value of friendships, and the ability to be able to make the "right" decision are all presented in Breaking Her Fall with an astute and sensitive clarity. This is a very perceptive and emotionally sensitive piece of work.

Michael

I read one or two novels a week, but only occasionally find one I carry around constantly, and steal time away from daily responsibilities to dip into. 'Breaking her Fall' absorbed me just this way: I fell into its world of a family and its joys and sorrows, its daily annoyances and pleasures with each other....and I didn't want the book to end. Goodwin can write: he catches the nuances of parental love, that tug as you watch your children grow up, wanting them to be independent while missing their dependence, and also those of passionate love and the exhilirations it brings. It's also a heartbreaking book, in many ways, for parents of young girls nearing age 14. Tucker, the single father in the book, is clearly a loving father who always does his best, even when his best is flawed. But I wondered about Goodwin's choices in portraying these characters. A 14-year-old girl goes beyond sarcasm and sulking (inevitable in adolescence, I imagine) to routine use of very foul language and total voiced disrespect of her parents; she becomes involved with drinking and sex; she frequently locks her room and refuses to attend school. While Tucker is shattered in some ways by his daughter's behavior, he never even attempts to discipline the girl or causes her to have consequences at home for her behavior: all the consequences are emotional. And that's a fascinating choice, by Goodin, to me, because it's not remotely the ones I would have made as a parent. I haven't stopped thinking about this book.

What a terrific book this is. Absolutely absorbing from the first page on. It's about the dilemmas both parents and teens face in this confusing world of multiple values. Beautifully written and very resonant for any parent raising a child today. I'm teaching a university course called "Fathers, Sons and Daughters in Literature and Film" and this is an instant addition to the book list.

Both as a writer and a reader, I loved this book. At first, I was dubious that the subject could support such a lengthy work. Indeed, the writer in me kept looking for scenes that could be cut. However, the author's skillful prose more than justifies the length, as he throughly explores the repercussions of the event that drives the books action.

As the father of a daughter, I felt brought into the protaganist's world, feeling his anguish and fear. Some readers complain that the main character is unlikable, but I found his honest portrayal, flaws and all, quite refereshing. One of the books strengths is its dutiful avoidance of saintish heroes and dasterdly villians, instead showing how every character experiences the story through the lens of his or her own shortcomings.

Many other reviewers have written the basic outline of the story, so I won't repeat them. Sufice to say that Goodwin's well polished prose and excellent use of the first person offers readers a moving and evocative view of loss, grief, and recovery.

Rapid-fire, Goodwin gets right to the issue, and the pace continues. He captures the struggles of parents and adolescents to communicate and grow, but it's more. It's a view into the heart of one man who thought he had it all together.

Goodwin captures a time and place--Washington, DC, yay!!--and his dialogue is spot-on. Most important, he makes you care for everyone, with all their flaws and stupid choices.

I'm a non-fiction published author and I'm working on a novel. Would love to accomplish what Goodwin has--a work you don't want to put down.

I liked this book immensely. As a woman, I like getting into into a man's head, and Stephen Goodwin's hero, Tucker Jones, is compelling and believable. I was rooting for Tucker and his children throughout. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Clinton-Lewinsky, upscale D.C . setting.

And Tucker's relationship with Lily is spot on believable.

My only problem with Tucker is that he never seems properly cognizant of the fact that, because of his actions, a boy lost his eye. Tucker obsesses about a lot of things, but the attention he pays to Jed's lost eye is cursory at best. (And Jed doesn't seem adversely affected by the fact that he lost an eye. He still is the star of his soccer team; is this normal?) I kept excusing the slim treatment of Jed's injury as denial on Tucker's part, but since the novel is over 400 pages anyway, I think Goodwin could have devoted a couple more paragraphs to Tucker's presumed remorse about it.

One more thing - Tucker tells us that Lily's baby Julia died on April 19, 1987, a work day in the novel. April 19, 1987 was, however, Easter Sunday. I know because my oldest child was born on Saturday, April 18, 1987, the day before. A tiny careless error that momentarily pulled me out of Tucker's world.

One night, while Tucker Jones' thirteen-year-old daughter Kat is in the movies with a friend, he receives a hostile phone call from another parent, telling him that she is actually at a party, drinking alcohol and performing sexual acts on boys. From that night on, Tucker Jones' life, his family, and those surrounding him are turned upside down.

Stephen Goodwin writes with clear insight and an open-mind, as he talks about violence, parent-child relationships, adolescence, and growing up. In the first few chapters, his writing hooked me right in. It was fast-paced, emotional, and intriguing. By the middle, I felt that it was becoming repetitive and a little dragging. Even then, I continued to read because the whole premise was interesting. Overall, it was a captivating read with flaws. First of all, like I said, it became repetitive. A little bit more editing would have helped. Character editing would certainly have helped as well.

The main character I would personally edit would be the protagonist himself. I personally did not like the character of Tucker Jones. Sure, at first I was rooting for him, but as I read along, I found his character to be selfish and actually.. unbelievable. It seemed as if his primary concern was himself rather than his daughter. He kept blaming her (maybe not directly) and couldn't even forgive her, and even though he has the right to feel this way, I never saw that he cared and was concerned for her daughter. Maybe it's just me, but I just never saw the love of a parent for the child, which supposedly, is the whole point of the book.

It was a good read, but with too many unnecessary subplots with loose ends. Therefore, I don't think I'll be too ecstatic about recommending this to anyone. Also, I don't think I'll ever be reading this again.

I've encountered more than my fair share of teen-parent relation books in my time, this one included. The interesting thing is that "Breaking Her Fall" gave a slightly different perspective. Not only was it a parental point of view (numerous other books offer that as well, though fewer), it was a parental point of view that gave that parent a life unrelated to just their job and their children. So that was nice.

In general, "Breaking Her Fall" is a pretty good book. I read it quickly and intensely, appreciating the touching moments and rolling my eyes through the dull, unnecessary parts. Because, truth be told, there are entire subplots to this book that could have been cut. Tucker's affair[s], for instance, added no depth to his character and only made the story kind of clunky. At times, it felt like the subplots were a bit too much. Everything seems to happen (death, pregnancy, drama, violence, sex, cheating, drama, etc.). It's a bit annoying, mostly because it's kind of pointless. But in the end, Goodwin successfully gets me positive about the story and feeling warmth towards the characters.

I liked the main concept - Tucker and Kat's relationship. Tucker's attempts to reconnect with his daughter are a bit desperate at times, and Kat is sometimes a little too stereotypical, but their scenes together have warmth and give the reader nice feelings. Tucker and Will's relationship is also a nice one to watch. Parts of the book are thrilling, parts horrifying (the beginning is chilling - Goodwin captures the essence of the frightened parent quite well), some dull, and mostly enjoyable.

"Breaking Her Fall" may be a little long and at times overdone, yet it successfully presents a story and leads the reader through it. The writing is straight-forward and clear. The story is a good one; I enjoyed it. Characters are at times flat, but are mostly okay, and in the end, it's just a good read and an okay book.

So I suppose I'd recommend it, if only for the good parts.