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After Dad
“He was always there for me,” Jenny Kovacek says in the opening of the novel After Dad, and indeed, her father is such a charismatic figure that, despite his untimely passing, he continues to shape those closest to him. Though missing, he is never far from their thoughts, and during critical moments in their lives, he seems to reach out through a number of means – from simple memories of touch and voice, to the telling items he left behind, to a sense of his lingering presence.
As told in 16 intertwined episodes, the father’s influence varies among his three children, and their individual responses to a father who never quite leaves them leads to consequences that are as striking as they are transformative.
Set mostly in Southern California during the turbulent 1960s, Ralph Cohen’s debut novel will take you on a roller coaster ride of love and betrayal, joy and tragedy that explores the effect we have on those around us long after we are gone.
"Cohen rarely makes easy, obvious choices for his story, which is at turns heartbreaking and funny. He always has a touching or amusing surprise waiting.... A rewarding read that captures stark, knotty reality and its living, breathing characters." -- Kirkus Reviews
As told in 16 intertwined episodes, the father’s influence varies among his three children, and their individual responses to a father who never quite leaves them leads to consequences that are as striking as they are transformative.
Set mostly in Southern California during the turbulent 1960s, Ralph Cohen’s debut novel will take you on a roller coaster ride of love and betrayal, joy and tragedy that explores the effect we have on those around us long after we are gone.
"Cohen rarely makes easy, obvious choices for his story, which is at turns heartbreaking and funny. He always has a touching or amusing surprise waiting.... A rewarding read that captures stark, knotty reality and its living, breathing characters." -- Kirkus Reviews
- GenresContemporary
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 9, 2015
There's something that happens when you pick up a book published through a major publishing house - the reader trusts and has faith the book will meet certain expectations. The book will be of a particular caliber, and all kinks will have been ironed out. Slipping into the storied world will be seamless and easy for the reader. One doesn't always find that in self-published works. Yet, with After Dad, Ralph Cohen has created a novel that has come closer to a tightly-packaged big company produced piece than most other self-published books I have read.
Cohen exhibits an astute talent for the craft of writing. After Dad is a heartfelt novel about an American family in the '60s following the sudden death of their husband and father. Without dipping a single toe into a riptide of sentimentality, this story is observant, emotional, and character-driven. The influence and presence of Frank Kovacek posthumously in the lives of his grieving family is portrayed with creativity and patience.
Each chapter focuses on one family member at a time - sometimes in a third person narration, first person at other times. Some of my favorite chapters concerned Toby, the son so young when he looses his father. Tall tales - cowboys and ball players - are woven with great skill into the perceptions of a lost and lonely young man.
When I talk about this book, I tell people it should be in the hands of an editor at a big city publishing house. I also tell them that if I were the editor of said publishing house, with this book in my hands, I would praise Cohen... and tell him to give me something else. Or at the very least change a few things in After Dad. One being the numerous scenes of sexuality - some are intimate, some of them are graphic and distressing. The affect of the story is lost in the effect of such scenes. Such events can, and do, occur, but it was too much. I also found the addition of Edgar/Eddie (assistant director of a funeral home) as an important character merely an attempt to flesh out the story. I can see why Cohen put him there, but I do not feel he needs to be. He disrupts the flow.
And the last thing that stuck out to me is the "why". Why do we care so much about this family? Why should we spend 300+ pages learning about them? Why are the Kovaceks a novel unto themselves? The inherent purpose of this book is not obvious. But I must admit, the quality of writing is so fantastic, there were times I did not care to answer that question.
All that aside, Ralph Cohen is a novelist to be discovered and given the opportunity to stretch and find what he can add to our literary world. He is already so much further than many other new authors.
This book was kindly provided by the author for review.
Cohen exhibits an astute talent for the craft of writing. After Dad is a heartfelt novel about an American family in the '60s following the sudden death of their husband and father. Without dipping a single toe into a riptide of sentimentality, this story is observant, emotional, and character-driven. The influence and presence of Frank Kovacek posthumously in the lives of his grieving family is portrayed with creativity and patience.
Each chapter focuses on one family member at a time - sometimes in a third person narration, first person at other times. Some of my favorite chapters concerned Toby, the son so young when he looses his father. Tall tales - cowboys and ball players - are woven with great skill into the perceptions of a lost and lonely young man.
When I talk about this book, I tell people it should be in the hands of an editor at a big city publishing house. I also tell them that if I were the editor of said publishing house, with this book in my hands, I would praise Cohen... and tell him to give me something else. Or at the very least change a few things in After Dad. One being the numerous scenes of sexuality - some are intimate, some of them are graphic and distressing. The affect of the story is lost in the effect of such scenes. Such events can, and do, occur, but it was too much. I also found the addition of Edgar/Eddie (assistant director of a funeral home) as an important character merely an attempt to flesh out the story. I can see why Cohen put him there, but I do not feel he needs to be. He disrupts the flow.
And the last thing that stuck out to me is the "why". Why do we care so much about this family? Why should we spend 300+ pages learning about them? Why are the Kovaceks a novel unto themselves? The inherent purpose of this book is not obvious. But I must admit, the quality of writing is so fantastic, there were times I did not care to answer that question.
All that aside, Ralph Cohen is a novelist to be discovered and given the opportunity to stretch and find what he can add to our literary world. He is already so much further than many other new authors.
This book was kindly provided by the author for review.
January 9, 2016
This book was totally engrossing. My mind is still reeling over whether or not this was a good story, but I believe the answer is that it is not good for any of the characters, but that the story itself is important. More about that in a moment; to understand this book you must first hear about the layout.
The layout was rather odd. The first two chapters were written before Dad, the rest of the chapters written after Dad. All of the female voices were written in first person; the male voices were written in third person. And I found it odd that one of the funerary directors was given a voice for just one chapter.
Now, the story takes us through how the life of each family member is affected by their Dad’s passing. It all is very sad and melancholy. Just when life seems as if it might get better, one of them runs into a tragic event that left me feeling very unsettled and sad. A happy ending was certainly not handed to the reader on a silver platter in this book.
Cohen’s writing was seamless, and the flow of the story really captivated me. I took notice of the first person/third person differences, but they didn’t disrupt my reading of the story. Despite this being such a sad and at times difficult book to read, the story was very well written. I felt intricately attached to each character, as if I were their best friend that they’d shared all their secrets to and only I understood their side of the story, even while watching their other family members tear them apart for their actions. This book seems like magnificent social commentary on how family members treat one another and what we choose to share with each other.
This book is certainly not for the faint of heart. It deals with themes of rape culture and sexual violence, prison (juvie) culture, depression (and other mental health issues), and death. There’s a lot going on here. I’m not sure I quite realized what I’d be reading when I began this book, but it left me with a lot to think about. It definitely made me uncomfortable, but I respect that as part of a learning process within myself.
One thing that really sticks out to me about this book is that I’m still thinking about and concerned for the characters. This book doesn’t tie up loose ends really, except for the nondescript last chapter. Much is left up to the speculation of the reader. If you like nitty gritty books about everyday life that leave a lot open, you may also find yourself quite captivated by this book.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
You can read more of my reviews at https://showthisbooksomelovewordpress...
The layout was rather odd. The first two chapters were written before Dad, the rest of the chapters written after Dad. All of the female voices were written in first person; the male voices were written in third person. And I found it odd that one of the funerary directors was given a voice for just one chapter.
Now, the story takes us through how the life of each family member is affected by their Dad’s passing. It all is very sad and melancholy. Just when life seems as if it might get better, one of them runs into a tragic event that left me feeling very unsettled and sad. A happy ending was certainly not handed to the reader on a silver platter in this book.
Cohen’s writing was seamless, and the flow of the story really captivated me. I took notice of the first person/third person differences, but they didn’t disrupt my reading of the story. Despite this being such a sad and at times difficult book to read, the story was very well written. I felt intricately attached to each character, as if I were their best friend that they’d shared all their secrets to and only I understood their side of the story, even while watching their other family members tear them apart for their actions. This book seems like magnificent social commentary on how family members treat one another and what we choose to share with each other.
This book is certainly not for the faint of heart. It deals with themes of rape culture and sexual violence, prison (juvie) culture, depression (and other mental health issues), and death. There’s a lot going on here. I’m not sure I quite realized what I’d be reading when I began this book, but it left me with a lot to think about. It definitely made me uncomfortable, but I respect that as part of a learning process within myself.
One thing that really sticks out to me about this book is that I’m still thinking about and concerned for the characters. This book doesn’t tie up loose ends really, except for the nondescript last chapter. Much is left up to the speculation of the reader. If you like nitty gritty books about everyday life that leave a lot open, you may also find yourself quite captivated by this book.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
You can read more of my reviews at https://showthisbooksomelovewordpress...
April 10, 2016
After Dad is the story of a family coping with the death of their father. The story follows the years that go by after the father’s death, from the perspectives of his wife, son Toby (the youngest sibling), and mostly from the two daughters, Jenny and Margot. Each of the three children has a moving story, and Cohen introduces some tough story-lines for these three characters, although he keeps the story balanced.
The third chapter, which I found odd, is written from the funeral director’s point of view. It serves the purpose of showing us the family from an outsider’s perspective, but the narrator in this chapter is so strange it was more of a distraction. I'm also not sure the chapters from the mother's perspective worked.
I was worried that this story would be melodramatic and sappy, but it’s more of a coming of age story for the three siblings. The three siblings experience their father’s absence in really different ways, because of their age.
There were a couple of things I struggled with. First, I wish it had been easier to keep track of time, both the ages of the characters and the time the story was set in. Also the story takes place mostly in the 60’s, but I didn’t always feel the story was rooted in that particular time, except for the occasional mention of hippies and protesters.
The writing is very good in many parts of the story, but occasionally it felt uneven, as though Cohen is just relating a series of chronological events to get us to the next really interesting part. That’s typical of a book that covers a wide span of years. Margot was my favorite character, and one I really identified with, especially when she blows off school her senior year (she’s the responsible kid in the family), and when she struggles with her marriage and having a baby. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who likes reading about family relationships and growing up after a tragedy.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. My full review can be found at http://thebookstop.wordpress.com.
The third chapter, which I found odd, is written from the funeral director’s point of view. It serves the purpose of showing us the family from an outsider’s perspective, but the narrator in this chapter is so strange it was more of a distraction. I'm also not sure the chapters from the mother's perspective worked.
I was worried that this story would be melodramatic and sappy, but it’s more of a coming of age story for the three siblings. The three siblings experience their father’s absence in really different ways, because of their age.
There were a couple of things I struggled with. First, I wish it had been easier to keep track of time, both the ages of the characters and the time the story was set in. Also the story takes place mostly in the 60’s, but I didn’t always feel the story was rooted in that particular time, except for the occasional mention of hippies and protesters.
The writing is very good in many parts of the story, but occasionally it felt uneven, as though Cohen is just relating a series of chronological events to get us to the next really interesting part. That’s typical of a book that covers a wide span of years. Margot was my favorite character, and one I really identified with, especially when she blows off school her senior year (she’s the responsible kid in the family), and when she struggles with her marriage and having a baby. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who likes reading about family relationships and growing up after a tragedy.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. My full review can be found at http://thebookstop.wordpress.com.
October 31, 2015
This man was such a vibrant person. With his stories and his flippant way of handling the world. Almost as if nothing could touch him. I can imagine how big a hole losing someone like that would leave.
It would feel empty. Empty and cold.
The author has done something amazing here. He has brought these characters to life. He has made their grief so complicated and intricate. He has given me characters that will stick in my head for a long time. He has given me things to wonder….avenues into others complex feelings and experiences.
He has done one of the hardest things an author can do. He has made me love and hate, fear for and cheer, fall in love and then lose it all. He has made me feel. No greater deed can be done than to appeal to what make’s us human.
It would feel empty. Empty and cold.
The author has done something amazing here. He has brought these characters to life. He has made their grief so complicated and intricate. He has given me characters that will stick in my head for a long time. He has given me things to wonder….avenues into others complex feelings and experiences.
He has done one of the hardest things an author can do. He has made me love and hate, fear for and cheer, fall in love and then lose it all. He has made me feel. No greater deed can be done than to appeal to what make’s us human.
April 13, 2016
A peculiar, but strangely compelling book, made up of a series of interlinked short stories.
The stories take us through the lives of four family members - a wife, two daughters and a son -following the death of their father ( & husband).
Margot and Jenny's stories are written in the first person, as is the wife's. Oddly though, Toby's story is written in the third person. The chapter about the funeral director, also written in the third person, seemed out of place.
The children all have emotional and moving stories in the years following their father's death, which at times made uncomfortable reading.
Although I felt involved with the girls stories, I didn't have the same connection with Ruth or Toby!
The stories take us through the lives of four family members - a wife, two daughters and a son -following the death of their father ( & husband).
Margot and Jenny's stories are written in the first person, as is the wife's. Oddly though, Toby's story is written in the third person. The chapter about the funeral director, also written in the third person, seemed out of place.
The children all have emotional and moving stories in the years following their father's death, which at times made uncomfortable reading.
Although I felt involved with the girls stories, I didn't have the same connection with Ruth or Toby!
April 12, 2017
When their father dies suddenly, three kids are left to struggle into youth and then adulthood. One doesn't make it very far. Toby the youngest, stayed in a make-believe world after the father's death until he is jolted hard back into reality during a stay in juvie. There he finds that his make-believe world can't protect him from the gangsta world of juvenile detention centers.His two sisters, Jenny and Margot, much older than he is when their father dies, eventually find their way to a reasonably happy life. But Margot and Jenny only find this by leaving Southern California, which in After Dad does not include a free pass at the idyllic carefree surfer life. It is the hard penny life with a father who is a WWII vet who cannot seem to adjust to the life after the war. He tries one thing, fails and ends that venture, and moves onto another venture while working and then being laid off. What he dies of remained a mystery to this reader.
Jenny is the smart daughter who idolizes her father. She stumbles through high school only wishing to be left alone. She acquires no friends until after graduation and then her friend, Gina, is a female wrestler who takes paid wrestling jobs in local bars. Jenny for a time goes along with this. She has a boyfriend, Gerald, who to this reader, was Jenny's boyfriend only when he did not have a better offer or was down on his luck. Jenny's ticket to life is her happenstance winning of a scholarship to her father's college.
Margot, the best written sections, though not the best-drawn character (Jenny is), is the older sister who follows in her mother's footsteps, creating her own dysfunctional family. Eventually, she discovers that her dictatorial ever-present mother-in-law and attached-to-his-mother's-apron-strings husband (Art) are better left behind. Tyler, her infant son knows this too judging by how happy go lucky he becomes when mother and son leave for the Northwest.
Toby, injures his hand in a collision with a table saw after his father's death that leaves his left hand minus a thumb and index finger. During his convalescence, he finds and retreats for good into the make-believe world where he is a super hero, a cowboy and just plain invincible. His soon-to-be trade -- breaking into houses and stealing stuff, nothing valuable. He takes the stuff for kicks and keeps it in his room. There is one humorous incident. He breaks into the house where his math teacher lives. She's running around naked, wanting sex and her lover, nicknamed Old Baldy by Toby, only wants to watch the game and you guess right -- Toby gets a first row seat to their S&M act. Eventually, after a number of arrests, Toby is sentenced to time in juvie by a judge fed up with Toby's frequent flyer status in his court. Toby eventually hangs himself, not lasting a week.
This is the tale of a WWII vet that maybe should have gave his buddy's message to the buddy's supposed girlfriend and then kept on walking. It was happy marriage for a while then it tanked, likely for lives going nowhere, yet not converging together as artfully as they should have. I don't have much to say about Ruth. She's a forgettable character. The genus of the book are the kids, Jenny in particular. Cohen's telling of a part of WWII where German soldiers near the end of the war dressed in American uniforms attempt to pass themselves off as Americans at the end of the book was the next to best part for me. Then again, I like books about WWII, at least the ETO portion, not so much about the war with Japanese.
Cohen's writing is polished. Just make sure that when you read the first chapter, you note that the character is a girl. I got about halfway through the chapter and realized that I had it wrong when I thought the character was a boy.
Jenny is the smart daughter who idolizes her father. She stumbles through high school only wishing to be left alone. She acquires no friends until after graduation and then her friend, Gina, is a female wrestler who takes paid wrestling jobs in local bars. Jenny for a time goes along with this. She has a boyfriend, Gerald, who to this reader, was Jenny's boyfriend only when he did not have a better offer or was down on his luck. Jenny's ticket to life is her happenstance winning of a scholarship to her father's college.
Margot, the best written sections, though not the best-drawn character (Jenny is), is the older sister who follows in her mother's footsteps, creating her own dysfunctional family. Eventually, she discovers that her dictatorial ever-present mother-in-law and attached-to-his-mother's-apron-strings husband (Art) are better left behind. Tyler, her infant son knows this too judging by how happy go lucky he becomes when mother and son leave for the Northwest.
Toby, injures his hand in a collision with a table saw after his father's death that leaves his left hand minus a thumb and index finger. During his convalescence, he finds and retreats for good into the make-believe world where he is a super hero, a cowboy and just plain invincible. His soon-to-be trade -- breaking into houses and stealing stuff, nothing valuable. He takes the stuff for kicks and keeps it in his room. There is one humorous incident. He breaks into the house where his math teacher lives. She's running around naked, wanting sex and her lover, nicknamed Old Baldy by Toby, only wants to watch the game and you guess right -- Toby gets a first row seat to their S&M act. Eventually, after a number of arrests, Toby is sentenced to time in juvie by a judge fed up with Toby's frequent flyer status in his court. Toby eventually hangs himself, not lasting a week.
This is the tale of a WWII vet that maybe should have gave his buddy's message to the buddy's supposed girlfriend and then kept on walking. It was happy marriage for a while then it tanked, likely for lives going nowhere, yet not converging together as artfully as they should have. I don't have much to say about Ruth. She's a forgettable character. The genus of the book are the kids, Jenny in particular. Cohen's telling of a part of WWII where German soldiers near the end of the war dressed in American uniforms attempt to pass themselves off as Americans at the end of the book was the next to best part for me. Then again, I like books about WWII, at least the ETO portion, not so much about the war with Japanese.
Cohen's writing is polished. Just make sure that when you read the first chapter, you note that the character is a girl. I got about halfway through the chapter and realized that I had it wrong when I thought the character was a boy.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews