My Sister’s Father: 24 is expected to be released mid-2027.
A story filled with generational trauma, dysfunction and mistakes. It all begins with two strangers that should have never crossed paths. It spirals in despair and chaos when tragedy struck not long after the second world war ended, but not long enough for the economy to recover.
Although the novel is titled after the father, it is the mother that is the hero of the story. It shows how her life unfolded with two alcoholic parents, then suddenly reduced to only one. How she and her older sister had to raise the other children in a city where alcoholism, spousal abuse, child neglect and crime were infested throughout the neighborhoods of Boston.
Psychologists say that one’s life is formed from the earliest experiences of childhood. This lead Maryann down a path that was all too familiar, one that she did her best to avoid, but her toxic empathy was unable to overcome the notion that she could fix the broken man. He came from an upper crust family from the prominent side of town. She came from the wrong side of the tracks.
Unlike her mother before her, she did not fail her children, not in the traditional sense, other than choosing the wrong man to marry. Initially, 24 played the tough guy, but quickly realized that she was not impressed with the macho bravado. Soon, he shifted to a faker, more gentler side and played victim to circumstance of how his mother had mistreated him.
Not long after they were married, Maryann realized that she had made a mistake. But it was too late. She was pregnant with their first born. Her life flashed before her eyes when she told him the news. He was angry and blamed her, accusing her for ruining his career because he was trying to start a business. He did not have the time, money, the attributes or desire to be a father, let alone a dad. She was devastated, but refused to let him or anyone else see.
Fast forward as the babies became children, the children became adolescences and the adolescences became young adults. There was a stark divergence in the characteristics, attitudes and dispositions of each of the three offspring. It favored heavily on the side of nurture versus the debate of nature. All three were raised in the same household with the same figureheads. There is a refusal and resistance to use the term pair of parents, because 24 did not parent nor did he fill the partnership or companionship with his wife. He played the role of the silverback gorilla, ruling by force and intimidation. Except in nature, the silverback cares for his family, protects his family and teaches his family, because through them his genes are passed on to future generations. But eventually, every silverback loses power to a younger, stronger male in the group.
The eldest offspring was a loner. He only had a handful of friends. He showed little interest in sports or teamsmanship of any kind. He became self-destructive breaking the law, failing out of school and was eventually earned his way to being kicked out of 24’s house. He displayed characteristics of psychopathy and antisocial personality traits. He demanded to be the boss, but was absent of the knowledge or skills to lead. Like his father, he lived by the notion that negative attention was better than no attention. Although he hated 24, deep down in his inner child, he longed for his approval, although he would never be able to obtain it.
The middle child, from a young age, witnessed abuse that a youth should never see. He had dreams of beating 24 with a baseball bat as he laid sleeping on the couch at five years old. Like his so-called brother, he rebelled as a teenager. Although, he was not self-destructive. Yet, he found himself challenging not only the man that slept on the couch, but also the law. He became ultra protective of this mother. He did not play into the role of submissive servant to 24 at all and called him out on his hypocrisy of being a man every chance that he encountered. He dismissed his ignorant opinions and views on the world. This tormented 24 because he was unable to control the boy.
The daughter’s trauma was absorbed differently and she chose early-on to hide in denial, like her mother. However, as with any suppressed memory, it’s ugly head reared as she grew older. She became a perfectionist in an attempt to overcome her anxiety. She became dominant in her relationships with friends, her significant others and her children. This was in response to her witnessing the submissive, vulnerable side of their mother and how 24 preyed on her weakness and controlled her through violence and finances. As life entered the different stages, she became more possessive, more controlling and rigid in her thoughts. She was becoming the female version of her father.
Modern society has attempted to state that there can be two truths. This is not only a misconception, but an outright lie. There can be two opinions, but only truth. Ignorance to history or events, does not allow for a second truth.