Intriguing! Honest! Refreshing!

My first thought when I saw the high ratings for “She’s My Dad” was the author must have a lot of friends–the book cannot be that good.  And, even though I do review books I am happy to report that all the reviews are accurate.  There’s no fudging on this one.

“She’s My Dad” is not what I expected it to be.  It is not a journey of mismatched sour romances; nor it is a book of soul searching, familiar movies, or transsexuals. Even though the book does have a transsexual person in it, it is not about the process or the whys and whatnots. It is a modern day allegory that shows the inside truth of people set in a northern Virginia college town.  The college openly accepts everyone through their doors who wants an education; but, there are some people who were bred in Southern tradition and are set about what they feel should be right and proper—and, they are not happy about Windfield College. And, they plan to do something about it.

This book is as fun as it is smart.  It is not written in the typical fifth-grade English that most novels today are. Actually, there are interesting words that pique one’s curiosity of how the characters interact with each other; however, not so many as to bog down the flow of the storyline. In addition to the intelligence of the book, it is witty, clever, and engaging—full of suspense and mystery.  Ms. Woulff has an amazing ability to paint the character portraits with incredible sharpness and clarity so you don’t lose sight of who is doing what.

What further surprised me was the interesting storyline.  I certainly was not expecting sub-plots that involved big ugly brutes and wealthy crime bosses who were involved in home-grown terrorism.  There are many interesting side stories that puzzle into the main characters’ lives and plot of the book.  Every one of them is clearly defined and is woven ever so carefully into the climax of the novel.  Normally, this type of literature (crime, guns, things that go boom, etc.) does not interest me; but, this was so well written I could not put it down.  The more I read, the h
ungrier I got.

Be forewarned that there are a few characters that use foul language occasionally; and, there are some scenes that are briefly sexual. That being aside, considering the sensitive nature of some of the material, I felt, it was handled with great care.

Overall, I absolutely loved the book!  Loved it!  The message it brings us is so important—so necessary, that I wish it were in every library, college, and bookstore in America.  Better than that—it really needs to be a movie.

Note: I’d like to thank both Iolanthe Woulff for this lovely copy of “She’s My Dad” and Review the Book.com for this opportunity.

SHE’S MY DAD at Amazon

• File Size: 653 KB
• Print Length: 471 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1432744054
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc. (November 13, 2009)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0030EG3HW