Fitz: A Father, a Son, and a Gun

Gr 7 Up—Fitz is a 15-year-old with a plan to spend some time with his father, who he has never known but who has always financially supported him. His mother gives him very little information, but Fitz manages to discover who his father is and where to find him. He stalks the man for weeks and studies him. But he needs more. The only problem is how to get his father to go along with the plan. And that's where the gun comes in. On an ordinary spring morning, he forces his father to come with him, at gunpoint. What transpires is remarkable. The father and son learn about each other, secrets are revealed, and they both learn more about Fitz's mother. Christopher Evan Welch's reading supplies much of the tension, humor, and atmosphere of hope to Cochrane's story (Knopf, 2012). There may be concerns about the use of the gun as Fitz's father's persuader, so the audiobook should be thoughtfully shared with listeners. It is, however, ultimately a tale of redemption and forgiveness.—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston