ISBN: 9798218711191
Table of Contents
Two Blades of Grass Where One Blade Grew Before – Scott Stratford
A son reflects on his Montana farm father’s resilience, humor, and lessons in work, family, and survival, tracing the arc from happiness to tragedy.
pp. 1–22 (25 min read)
Footsteps – Malcolm Tecumseh Manwell II
A tribute to a father who lived with quiet strength and sacrifice, guiding his son through hardship, football grit, and even a life-or-death rescue.
pp. 23–28 · ~7–8 min read
Samuel Cicconi: A Life in Full – Christopher Cicconi
A son traces his father’s journey -- Navy hero, orange grove owner, jazz aficionado, marine engineer -- showing how choices, dreams, and consequences ripple across the generations.
pp. 29–44 · ~16–18 min read
A Paper Son – Dennis K. Lieu
An immigrant father’s journey becomes the foundation of family resilience, memory, and honor -- a story with a surprising final revelation.
pp. 45–54 · ~10–12 min read
A Short Life but a Great Influence – Dick Wirz
A son loses his father at an early age, but carries forward the values and unspoken guidance of a man remembered in love and respect.
pp. 55–66 · ~12–14 min read
“Buster, Looks Like You Forgot My Clubs” – Jim Vastyan
Reflections on a father who always placed his family first, and his son’s goal of emulating that example amid cherished memories that reverberate from a life well lived.
pp. 67–86 · ~21–23 min read
Car Stories and Other Stories – Jim Malloy
A son recalls the many good times--and the challenges, including a family separation and reconciliation--that permeated a life of cars and car dealerships, family travel, and lasting affection.
pp. 87–102 · ~16–18 min read
Close and the Cigar: Memories of My Father and Grandfather – Paul Bonitatibus
Through smoke, humor, and family tradition, a son examines humor and civic-mindedness through the two father figures who helped shape his life.
pp. 103–118 · ~16–18 min read
Finding Refuge – Alar Elken
Forged in the trauma of escaping war, a father's focus on survival shapes his family's life for many years before he develops a true sense of security as seen through the eyes of his son.
pp. 119–132 · ~14–16 min read
Painting It Black – Eugene Silberstein
Riding an emotional roller coaster with a controlling, unstable, occasionally loving father, a son asserts independence, finds success, and eventually develops the capacity to forgive.
pp. 133–160 · ~30–32 min read
Fragments – Nelson Simon
A mosaic of memory — fragmented yet piercing — reconstructs a father’s moments of presence, and absence, in a son’s life.
pp. 161–182 · ~23–25 min read
My Father (and My Son) Wore Many Different Hats – James D’Aurora
Three generations -- a man who worked with his hands, a son who earned a doctorate, a grandson whose work combines interests and elements of both -- and the multidimensional lives and legacies they have shared.
pp. 183–196 · ~14–16 min read
A Look at My Dad in the Rearview Mirror: “Lessons Were Closer Than They Appear”! – Chuck Myers
A reflection on gratitude and the complicated love between father and son, a relationship encapsulated in one unforgettable conversation.
pp. 197–214 · ~19–21 min read
In a Coach’s Life – Richard VanWagoner
A coach-father’s career in high school sports reveals choices, sacrifices, and the son’s perspective on ambition and belonging.
pp. 215–224 · ~10–12 min read
Joseph Mangone: Two Continents, One Man – Mario Mangone
A son honors his immigrant father’s leap across continents, blending Italian roots with an American legacy of family and work.
pp. 225–234 · ~10–12 min read
…And the Greatest of These is Love – Jim Morgan Cross II
A story of devotion and endurance, where faith, love, and loss shape the deepest bond between father and son.
pp. 235–262 · ~30–32 min read
“Mac” and His Buddy – Paul Widzowski
An affectionate portrait of a father’s friendship, companionship, and the quiet ways loyalty teaches a son what matters.
pp. 263–274 · ~12–14 min read
Manny: Baker and Band Leader – Tom Mignanelli
A father kneads dough by day and leads a band by night, showing how music, hard work, and joy can live in the same man.
pp. 275–286 · ~12–14 min read
My Father Memorized the Eye Chart . . . – Steve Zlotnick
A humorous yet heartfelt glimpse into a father’s quirks and resilience, revealing love in the details.
pp. 287–292 (7–8 min read)
Thanks, Dad, For . . . Well . . . Everything – Brian Zevnik
A son offers gratitude through stories both funny and poignant, capturing the fullness of an ordinary yet extraordinary dad.
pp. 293–308 · ~16–18 min read
Two Unforgettable Memories of My Father, Carl Rak Jr. – Carlos Rak
Two sharply etched moments reveal the depth of a father-son bond, as memory crystallizes what words could not.
pp. 309–314 · ~7–8 min read
Lucky Me Too! – Jim DeVoe
Baseball forms a bond between father and son -- teacher and pupil -- that endures through the years, even overcoming one fundamental challenge that involves conscience, duty, war, and peace.
pp. 315–340 (27–29 min read)
Appendix: Fathers and Sons Book Club Questions – Compiled by Joe Pliss
Provocative prompts to spark conversation, reflection, and debate in book clubs or around the family table.
pp. 341–350 (approx.) · ~10–12 min read