A Coming of Age Story of Hope

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I stumbled upon Dawn Dickerson’s book The Problem with Denny: A True Story of Hope For An Unwanted Child on Amazon because the cover caught my attention. The next thing that grabbed me were these two statements: 1.) Who wouldn’t be surprised to learn their dad had an 89-page FBI file and was a wanted man? 2.) Who would believe you when you say your mom has been married over eight times? I’m drawn to books that involve people who surmounted a difficult childhood to become successful contributing members of society. I bought the Kindle edition and started reading it immediately, despite having a ton of digital library books demanding my attention, and I read it straight through to the end in one sitting. The author is telling her father’s story, and he had real family challenges. This book deals with his earliest years through an honorable discharge from the service, and presumably future books may cover later years. The book is stand alone, so you have a complete story with no cliffhangers. The title indicates the book is a story of hope for an unwanted child, and it delivers. This boy’s life could have gone in any one of many directions with tragic outcomes, because coming to the realization you’re an afterthought at best in the heart and mind of the person who should love you unconditionally is devastating, and you carry that with you everywhere you go, seeing happy families enjoying the thing you want most in the world, your mother to love you. 


One reason this is a story of hope is because throughout his childhood he would have encounters with adults who were kind, some of them extended family, but others complete strangers. When he was hitch hiking I was worried everytime he was picked up, in fear for his safety. This engaging coming of age story is taking place in the post WWII years, but 13 years old is young to be trusting the universe will send you a ride with a decent human being. Throughout the book, even when he gets in trouble, as kids do, people are willing to help, although times are hard for many, it’s comforting to see an America of generous spirit willing to anticipate and help problem solve to give someone the opportunities to test their mettle. I think we still live in a nation where promise, hope, and possibility survive, despite what passes for news coverage these days. I look forward to the next installment of this young man’s life, and I’m grateful his daughter saw the importance of telling her father’s story, and took the time to do it right.

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