Daddy was a Bad Boy [Paperback]

Floriana Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001

Daddies are supposed to be special -- strong, steady, and loving. They are a little girl's first white knight. Eventually, they get off the horse, but this particular father fell off. Author Floriana Hall is brutally honest in her assessment of her father who lied, cheated, and abandoned his family. Hall goes on to show how her family regained their pride and courageously embraced a better life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Floriana Hall is an award-winning poet and author of three books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 185 pages
• Publisher: Ceshore Publishing Company (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585010707
• ISBN-13: 978-1585010707
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,374,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is Worth Living, March 27, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Daddy was a Bad Boy (Paperback)

Floriana Hall has written an inspiring story for people of all ages. Her life story shows that life can be worth living, even cheerfully, in spite of poverty or obstacles. Even her father's immoral and irresponsible behavior does not deter her from seeking and achieving happiness. And she has tried to understand and to forgive her father as is evident in Chapter 26 where she has included his letters and commented on them.
Her book shows that she has always had an excellent sense of humor, has made friends easily, and enjoyed life in spite of real hunger and hardships.
As I read her book, I was reminded of the novel and movie "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith; it first appeared in the 1940s. Both Betty Smith and Floriana Hall reveal that material goods are not necessary for happiness; you can be poor and and still be happy. And you can live through tragedies and adversity and still be happy. Floriana's positive outlook on life and her Christian values have enabled her to do so. But there is much more spirit and life in her book than I can tell in a few words. It's well written, down to earth, homey, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daddy Was A Bad Boy, November 12, 2001

By 

Jean Blair (Mt. Vernon, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daddy was a Bad Boy (Paperback)

What else can be said about this book? The other reviews have covered about all. I could not put this book down after I started to read. I was appalled at "Daddy's" flagrant behavior. But Floriana apparently survived it really well. Her Mother is probably a Saint in Heaven!! I could really relate to the period of time starting in the 50's. Especially the "flea hop" at the skating rink. I used to do that. Give this book a read thru. You will not be disappointed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TALE OF BADNESS ALL GOOD, February 7, 2005

By 

Jennifer Brown - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daddy was a Bad Boy (Paperback)

Floriana Hall is one of a generation of great tale-tellers. Born on October 2, 1927, just before the start of the Great Depression, Floriana's generation is of the last to remember growing up and enduring incredible hardship and poverty in this country. To add to her family's privation was the philandering and deceiving nature of her father. DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is Floriana's story.

Floriana's family was no stranger to hard times, many days eating only bread smeared with lard and sprinkled with sugar. At times when her father, the sole bread-winner of the family, was missing for days, weeks, or months on end, Floriana watched her mother go without meals to ensure that the children could eat, or beg for credit simply to buy a loaf of bread. She recalls living in homes with outhouses or homes too small for their family, bread lines and rationing during the war, and even times when she had to endure the harsh and unfair punishments doled out by her stern grandfather.

Still, Floriana managed to enjoy her childhood. Although her family was uprooted frequently, she still managed to maintain top grades, make many friends, and have her fair share of fun. In DADDY WAS A BAD BOY, Floriana recalls such things as listening to radio programs, roller skating and ice skating with friends, and playing the piano.

While DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is a mesmerizing memoir of life growing up in the `20's and `30's, taking the reader all the way to present day, it is made even more so by weaving the tale of Floriana's father, who was uncaring, philandering, and deceitful at best. The reader is able to feel the pain of a family forgotten through Floriana's eyes and ultimately witness the repentance of a sick man through his own letters.

As with most memoirs, the reader must pay close attention to names while reading DADDY WAS A BAD BOY, as family trees tend to tangle together a labyrinth of names that can blur together. Additionally, Hall alternately refers to her father as "Dad" and "Luke" - perhaps highlighting her own ambiguous feelings about just who this man was to her - which can tend to throw off a reader who is not careful. However, the story itself is so compelling, a reader would not likely need worry about not paying close enough attention.

Overall, DADDY WAS A BAD BOY is a gripping tale of a life virtually unknown to most of us today - life before modernization such as TV's, microwave ovens, and frozen dinners - and Floriana Hall a testament to the human spirit. Says Floriana, "All my life, no matter what happened, I never dwelled on the negatives. It's a good thing, as many were to come. But my happy nature, along with prayer and positive thinking, kept me smiling." (p. 11)

No doubt, DADDY WAS A BAD BOY would keep a reader smiling as well.