Reviews

FIVE STARS This was an amazingly good read, and I'm not a fan of love stories. OK, I did read "The Bridges of Madison County" and it was good. However, this book was better, and told a story that is more important in many ways. Tim Anders is a magnificent No Limit Texas Holdem poker player, who has taken all my chips on more than one occasion, but as an author, he has made me a richer man.

William J. Ford

FIVE STARS Everybody Calls My Father, Father by Tim `Dr. Hope' Anders is based on the true story of his mother and father. Bouvette Sherwood, a successful producer and actress of New York Broadway, meets Hughie Hewitt, a Catholic priest. The two soon fall madly in love. There is just one problem though, Hughie, due to him being a Catholic priest, is unable to marry and start a family. Will Huighie and Bouvette be able to work things out?
This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it immensely. The true story of the author's parents pulls you in and makes you wonder what will happen next. This book is inspiring, it sends the message that you should never give up on what you want the most. Included in the back of this book are pictures of his mother and father. The pictures really help you connect with the story.

M. Ellis

THREE STARS Everybody Calls My Father, Father is a love story that presents its readers with an inside look at the Catholic Church circa 1945. This saga is based on the true account of author Tim Anders parents' perilous and clandestine love affair. The primary impediment to their love was the fact that the author's father was indeed a "Father" (that is to say a Catholic Priest named Hughie Hewitt) who chose to remain in the church rather that leave and assume his parental responsibilities after he had fathered two children.

Anders narrative is based on stories related to him by his mother and it is fairly obvious that his vision of the affair has been embellished and romanticized to make it more palatable to the reader. My problem with "Father Hewitt" is twofold. First, if he was some completely and hopelessly in love why did he not abandon his faith and marry the mother of his children. Second, if he was so devoted to his faith that he was unable (or unwilling) to leave the church, why did he pursue this naive young woman instead of letting her get on with here life. Could it be that he wanted to "have it all"??

Personally, although I have been a member of the faith for my entire life, I have never understood the churches reluctance to allow its priests to marry. This, however, is not the forum in which to debate that particular question. Suffice to say that as a "romance novel" Everybody Calls My Father, Father is an enjoyable and easy read that delivers the requisite number of perils to be overcome by its heroine.

Bookworm

FIVE STARS This is a great story that has it all; romance, intrigue, betrayal, sorrow and hope. The first page grabs and this book doesn't let go. I read it in a single sitting. The 1940's New York setting was so realistic, I felt like I good smell the garlic in the Italian restaurant where the book opens. What is truly incredible is the deeply personal nature of the story and the author's ability to share it with us. I definitely hope Anders writes and publishes the rest of his story in the coming years.

Keith

Click here to read more reviews.