In this week’s episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, author Paul Lamb discusses his latest novel, Parent Imperfect. Once again, family takes center stage in this sequel to Paul’s debut novel, One-Match Fire. Parent Imperfect is a story about fatherhood—its highs and lows, joys and sorrows, triumphs and challenges. In this book, two fathers, Curt and Kelly, are trying to raise their adopted son, Clarkson. Curt is a reluctant father who is coming to terms with being responsible for another person. Kelly, on the other hand, has always wanted a child, but he is plagued by his own demons and suffers from deep depression. And Clarkson, an introverted boy with wonderful artistic abilities, grows up understanding that one of his fathers is absent even when he is present, while the other is absent because his condition prevents him from being present. The result is a surly teenager who feels he doesn’t belong and shouldn’t be a member of this family. Parent Imperfect takes a look at adoption, the nontraditional family, and the relationship between fathers and sons. In this episode, I’ll chat with Paul about his writing journey, how real life works its way into his books, and why he believes the theme of fathers and sons tends to haunt his writing.
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The Bookshop at the End of the Internet is also available on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and YouTube. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode!
