Leave Out the Tragic Parts- A Grandfather's Search for a Boy Lost to Addiction by Dave Kindred
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Web ID: 16849958Wonderful Read, heartbreaking but wonderful
It’s one of those books you can’t put down, i read it in two days. I cried and cried. Wonderfully written; one of those books you can see play out in your head
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
One of the best books I've ever read.
Throughout the entire book you can feel the love Dave Kindred has for his late grandson, Jared. This book will have you feeling like you're a part of their family living through the years with them. I finished the book in less than two days because I genuinely couldn't put it down. This is one of those books that you'll remember for years.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Heartbreaking memoir
A heartbreaking, poignant story of love, loss, addiction and grief. Sportswriter, Dave Kindred has written a beautiful love story about one of his grandsons, Jared Kindred, who becomes "Goblin", a traveler, a wanderer and an addict. Recounting the years of Jared's life, sharing memories of those who travelled with him on the rails and in and out of a multitude of towns and states, we see Jared through the eyes of others,as his addiction ultimately makes his life choices. An unflinching account, at times difficult to read and comprehend but a personal, harrowing account of addiction and it's powerful hold on those we love. Thank you Perseus Books, Public Affairs and net galley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Incredibly Powerful and Lyrical
This is a beautiful memorial of a grandfather’s love, a tragic tale of the grips of addiction, and a, at once both haunting and whimsical, story of life on the road. I can always tell when a book truly impacted me by my reaction to the acknowledgements, and this one made me teary. In those acknowledgements, Kindred mentions that he wanted his editors to help him make this narrative “sing” and there’s really no other way to describe it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Tragically loving story
A quick read, but a powerful story to be told. Bravo to the grandfather that never failed at loving his grandson and for looking beyond his addiction. The search for answers and understanding why some kids leave home and take up train hopping was an interesting adventure that takes you into the lives of those still out searching for the thrill. Why they give up the comfort of their home and family to wrestle with demons on the road whether it be drugs or alcohol is beyond some of us who are comfortable in our homes and naive to the world beyond us. The kids describe it as freedom from responsibility, broken families, failed educational system and search for happiness and acceptance. My heart was torn for this grandfather’s retracing of his grandson’s trials and trails through his many friends whom are still out there. It did not disappoint but left me in tears and prayer for all the lost young souls searching for family and acceptance outside the home.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
So good!
This book hooked me from the very beginning and, three days after finishing it, still hasn’t let me go. Its narratival flow is easy to read and ensures that you come back to finish the book. Although it is a different story, it reminded me of Beautiful Boy by David Sheff both in style of writing and the grace in which it speaks about addiction. It is a story told by a loving grandfather about his grandson’s alcoholism and life hopping trains all over the country. Kindred weaves together information he gathered after seeking out those who knew and traveled with Jared during the height of his addiction as well as recalling their family dynamic. I loved this book and not only because it was written well. As much as it broke my heart, it did what all good books about addiction do: it presents the addict as a human being rather than just seeing them as their disease. Content Warning: Alcohol (and some drug) abuse.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Very Interesting and Sad
This was harrowing to read. Leave Out the Tragic Parts is a grandfather's attempt to piece together what his grandson's life on the road was like, including letters and accounts from other travelers, which were really interesting to read. The author’s grandson, Jared, aka Goblin, lived quite the life, hopping trains, seeing the country, meeting friends who became family, and enjoying life. However, Jared was suffering from life-threatening alcohol dependency and was unable to see a future for himself other than the early death that eventually found him. Was Jared truly only happy on the road, or was that life forced upon him by his addiction? While an incredibly sad book, it was full of love for family and for life. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Love Story and A Tale of Missed Opportunities
On January 14, 2014, Jared Glenn Kindred, known among 'travelin' kids' as Goblin, died -- a casualty of addiction. For five years, Goblin rode the rails, slept on sidewalks and under bridges, seeing everywhere and nowhere as his home. This is his story, as painstakingly reconstructed by his grandfather and Goblin's 'road dogs.' As such, it is a love story – an effort to make visible the life of a homeless young man who lived outside the confines of a world that most of us know. But it is also a story of addiction, of missed opportunities to intervene, and of lost chances to change. Haunting and beautifully written, it is reminder of the importance of early intervention because love alone is not enough to save someone in the throes of addiction and denial can kill.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com