Father, Father

The long-awaited, extraordinary first adult novel by the bestselling and beloved children's book author, Jason Reynolds, a timeless and timely road novel, following two estranged brothers forced together in the wake of their father’s death

When two brothers set off on a drive from Maryland to Iowa shortly after their father has passed away, they both imagine an awkward ride and uncomfortable silences. Second is younger than his brother, Jesus, by decades, and on his way back to college for his year-end violin recital. Jesus, a profes­sional driver, is delivering a package for his boss and giving his kid brother a ride as a favor to his stepmother. Their father, Danger, was a legendary mechanic, a hero and role model to Second—but for Jesus, the relationship had been strained for years. As the miles tick by and the landscape rolls past their windshield, tensions flare and subside. Secrets are revealed and kept close. But ultimately the two brothers find a kind of peace together, and dis­cover the kinship they previously shared only in name.

This is a novel about grief and the different ways it can manifest; about family by blood and by choice; about imperfect parents and their imperfect love; and about the surprises awaiting any of us after a long ride in the car and a lifetime of misunderstanding. Told in language that is both rich and distinctive, with Jason Reynolds’s stunning flare for form, Father, Father will announce this popular children’s book writer as a master of fiction for adults.