Customer Reviews

Sins of the Father

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When Angela Benson put on her blog the cover of Sins of the Father, and asked her readers to guess what the book is about based on the cover and the title, I obviously had no clue. My guess was of a child paying for coming in contact with the things her father did before and having to deal with it in order to overcome an issue of her own. I was partially right, but mostly wrong. It does not matter because I truly enjoyed the book anyway.

I remember hearing a saying that parents should watch what they say or do because their children or future grandchildren would be the ones to pay for their mistakes. In Sins of the Father, everyone involved paid for the mistakes made by Abraham Martin, the father, thirty years before. Abraham had three children, but he openly acknowledged only the son he had with his wife, Saralyn. When Abraham tries to make things right, and bring together Michael and Deborah, the children he ignored, with Isaac, the son he raised proudly, he gets more than what he hoped for. Would any of his children ever forgive him for his past mistakes? Can they come together as one big dysfunctional family? Or will he lose all he had and ever wanted?

Benson developed characters that I could easily see myself coming in contact with on a daily basis. I could envision myself as Isaac (yes, I know he is a male and I am not). He reminds me of myself and how I think. The emotions of all the characters are believable. I will admit I did not like the way the book ended, but I understand it. Benson's ending was more realistic and a better one unlike my fairytale dream of an ending. I know Benson writes in the Christian-fiction genre, but Sins of the Father did not read like a Christian-fiction book. It read more like contemporary fiction with a hint of religion. There was no over abundance of preaching that tends to bore some readers. With the good plot and the well-developed characters, I recommend Sins of the Father to readers who enjoy contemporary and Christian fiction.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Abraham Martin has made some excellent business choices, and as a result, he is a successful media mogul; however, 30 years ago he made personal decisions that have come back to haunt him.

Now he wants to acknowledge his second family, and create an atmosphere of one big happy family.
As he tries to right his wrong, not everyone is happy about his "do the right thing" campaign.

A medical emergency calls on members of both families to come together to save one. When tempers explode, lies of omission are revealed, and resentment rears it's ugly head, Abraham closes his eyes and leans back in his chair. "Sins of the father," he murmured. "What have I done to my children?"

I knew this novel was a winner after the first twenty five pages! Angela Benson weaves a fabulous tale of faith, family, redemption and forgiveness. This is inspirational fiction at its best!

Entrepreneurial genius and entertainment trendsetter, Abraham Martin has a wife, Saralyn, and a son, Isaac. He also has another son, Michael, and a daughter, Deborah, and now, after thirty years of acting like they didn't exist, he's reaching out.

Deborah and Michael grew up without their father. Leah Thomas raised them. She struggled as a single mother and not once did she bad mouth Abraham, who didn't do anywhere near as much as he could have to supply their needs. Not hearing negative comments about Abraham from her mother's lips made all the difference to Deborah, who longed to have a relationship with her father. But Michael didn't want to get to know Abraham and forget about forgiving him for past mistakes. He despised the man who abandoned him and all he wanted was revenge.

Sins of the Father has seventy chapters, but they aren't long and drawn out; I appreciated that. I loved the close brother/sister relationship between Michael and Deborah. Isaac got on my nerves, the way he treated his wife, Rebecca for a choice she had made so long ago. Although it wasn't exactly what I expected, I had a feeling something was going to happen to change his attitude. And Michael was something else! All he could think about was making his father pay for not being there for him when he was growing up and that was understandable. But he was so blinded by hate that he couldn't see how he was affecting the ones closest to him - that was unfortunate. His sarcasm was funny sometimes, though.

Angela Benson is a good storyteller. The first book I read of hers was Up Pops the Devil and it is now one of my favorite reads. I loved that book! This one was pretty good. There was a lot of resentment, anger and pride, which made for good drama, and I knew Benson would have some humor in there. I like when a story can make me laugh. I also like that this story didn't have a happily ever after ending. Because of the personalities of certain characters, that made the epilogue more realistic. Forgiveness is a process that takes longer for some than others. And still, some never forgive. Sad, but true.

Sins Of The Father is absolutely riveting. This compelling novel is powerful and engaging from beginning to end. It is a story of redemption that depicts how secrets destroy trust and devastate lives."

"Abraham Martin is a wealthy man who has made his fortune as a media mogul. After leading a highly successful life he decides to reveal a secret that ultimately shatters his marriage to his socialite wife, Saralyn and strains his relationship with their son Isaac."

"For thirty years, Abraham chose to hide the fact that he has two other children with Leah Thomas, a woman from his past. His conscious gets the best of him and he decides to do what is right. He now wants His daughter Deborah and his other son, Michael to come aboard and work at the family business."

Deborah is somewhat hopeful for the opportunity to establish a relationship with her father. However, Michael holds contempt for the man who abandoned them and is out for revenge at any cost."

"Abraham suffers a health crisis and this challenges the family to make some difficult choices. They must decide what is more important, the sins of a father or that a father acknowledges his mistake and tries to make amends before it is too late.

Abraham Martin has been a busy man. He married Saralyn because she was pregnant with their son, Isaac. They give Isaac anything he wants, when he wants it, so he is somewhat spoiled and thinks the world revolves around him. But, Abraham has a big secret. He actually got another woman, Leah, pregnant at the same time and he didn't stop seeing her just because he was married. He had two children, Michael and Deborah. He is a very wealthy man, but he has ignored his illegitimate for years and they grew up in poverty because he broke off his relationship with Leah and his wife would send a very small amount of child support. His conscience starts bothering him and he decides he needs to recognize them for who they are. His wife isn't having it. When Abraham is in the hospital and Leah and her children come to see him, she is very insulting. The fight for the family business is on; Abraham wants to share with Deborah and Michael, but Saralyn and Isaac want no part of his other family. Michael wants revenge for all the years they suffered. Who will come out on top in this argument?

Will the siblings ever be able to admit they really are related? What sort of horrors will go down before they do? Angela Benson has written a novel of forgiveness and redemption filled with suspense and tragedy. The characters are developed to a degree that makes them very understandable. It is easy to see why Leah was quiet all those years as she and her children struggled to survive and why Abraham kept his mouth shut and let Saralyn send them a mere pittance to survive on. The drama never stops. It is well worth reading.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

In the drama-filled book, Sins of the Father, by Angela Benson, the reader will be engrossed in reading what happens, once Abraham Martin decides to "publically" acknowledge his children by a former girl friend 30 years after he walked out of their lives to marry Saralyn to help advance his business ambitions.

This change-of-heart came about after finding a soul-awaking letter from his deceased mother urging him to do the right thing and form a relationship with daughter, Deborah, and son, Michael, before it is too late. Since business and financial success is all that he knows, Abraham decides to make amends the only way he knows, to give Deborah and Michael ownership in his company. As a man used to making decisions, Abraham puts his plan into action, but a health crisis has him wondering if he waited too late to make amends.

In the meantime, each of the characters will have to decide what Abraham's decision means to them. Daughter, Deborah who readily accepts her father and his offer to run one of his business units, wonders if her happiness will now cost her relationship with brother Michael. Michael now wonders how this plan will affect his plans for revenge to financially ruin his father. Their mother, Leah, wonders if she is worthy of the love of the new man in her life and can she move on from the abandonment she suffered for so many years. Wife, Saralyn wonders if all of her sacrifices over the years were for nothing and Isaac, the heir now has a personal crisis that he wonders if it is worth resolving.

I enjoyed this story as there was always more than met the eye and it kept me turning the pages as I wondered how this family was to resolve their issues of betrayal, rage and love for each other and to themselves. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories with themes of redemption, forgiveness and love within a family.

Reviewed By Beverly
APOOO BookClub
July 12, 2009

Abraham Martin is pushed to come to terms with his past when he reads a letter from his deceased mother. She encourages him to own up to his past and face his demons. After looking at his success, wealth, loving wife (Saralyn) and rebellious son (Isaac) - he has to acknowledge his secret family. With great zeal Abraham jumps at the prospect of welcoming Deborah and Michael into his inner circle.

However, Abraham should have thought about how his public announcement would make his wife feel. Saralyn lived with his indiscretions for the last thirty years but she will not stay silent with a public acknowledgement. Saralyn plots to secure Isaac's spot as rightful heir of the Martin fortune. Deborah has always dreamed of the day that her father would embrace her and now she is living in the moment. But Michael has other thoughts about the Martin empire and they don't include joining the leadership team. The other women, Leah, faces her involvement in Abraham's past and vows to move forward. Will the two families become one or will revenge ruin everything?

Sins of the Father is a powerful story of revenge, betrayal, and forgiveness. Benson uses three dimensional characters to prove that regret, shame and hatred can give way to acceptance, forgiveness and love. The storyline will surprise you while the outcome will increase your faith in God. If you love reading about real life issues, this is a book that will keep you glued to the pages.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

She has done it again. Angela deals with hard issues, she doesn't back down from anything! In "Up Pops the Devil" her main character is a man just released from prison after serving 2 years for dealing drugs. In "Sins of the Father" we get to meet Abraham, his wife Saralyn and his son Isaac with his wife Rebecca (sound familiar?). Abraham is a VERY successful media mogul that has a secret... or rather HAD a secret. Oh, yes, he has a second family that he has only just acknowledged. That's right, a son and daughter that are adults now and Abraham decides he needs to make everything right.

But can you really do that after a lifetime of neglect? And what about the damage to his wife and son? Can Abraham pull them all together and restore everyone to their rightful places? And what about when something happens to Abraham? What does it take to really forgive?

I said that Angela isn't afraid to ask the tough questions, and she's not. She's also not afraid to answer them. I love Angela's style and her substance. I will read any book that she writes, I am impressed!

Abraham Martin is a successful media mogul, heading an empire with humble beginnings tied to his wife, Saralyn's, family. Abraham and Saralyn's only son, Isaac, is their only child and sole heir, or so he thinks. Enter Leah, Deborah and Michael, Abraham Martin's "other" family, and all hell breaks loose. The Martin family ties are on shaky ground and so is MEEG, the media and entertainment conglomerate that has sustained Abraham, Saralyn and Isaac for years. Now adults, Abraham attempts to reconcile the relationships with his "outside" children and their mother, Leah. Abraham Martin quickly learns that he cannot please everyone, especially his wife, Saralyn, and his stepson, Michael.

Author, Angela Benson, adds twists and turns to the story that will leave the reader wondering just how things will pan out for this blending family. Sins of the Father deals with marital and familial issues, the affects of absent fathers on their children, and allows readers to examine the morals and values of each character.

This was a good read. The book flowed well for me and I'd read another selection from this author.

Review by Tavares S. Carney

When Abraham Martin publicly acknowledged his two children, Michael and Deborah, after ignoring them for 30 years, he expected them to easily acclimate into his world. He offered them access to his multimillion dollar business empire, a gesture that could be a serious mistake. While Deborah, who always appeared to be searching for a father figure, accepted Abraham's gesture, Michael could not put aside his anger and vowed to destroy Abraham. In Angela Benson's newest novel, Sins of the Father, Abraham's revelation and the subsequent consequences makes for a drama-filled read with many twists and turns.

Abraham knew his wife, Saralyn, would not be accepting of his "other" family, but he did not anticipate the lengths she would go to protect her son's, position as the first born son. Her animosity towards Michael, Deborah and Leah only added fuel to the raging fire between the families. Then, a medical crisis caused all the family members to look within themselves and decide if they actually liked what they saw. Can or will they put aside their differences and help save the life of a loved one?

I have always thought of Angela Benson as a Christian-fiction author. In this novel, she steps back and offers a more contemporary, drama-filled novel. I was interested in the plot, and kept turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next, however, I just could not muster up any empathy for the characters. Sins of the Father is a good read for those who enjoy family sagas with a lot of drama. I would recommend this novel for your summertime reading list.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Book Club