Review: Review from Closed the Cover
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 2, 2013
Daddy Was a Punk Rocker is a memoir of a little boy's anguished heartbreak over the father he never had.  Adam wanted a conventional father - one who would sing lullabies, shoot soccer balls and provide for his family.  Instead, Adam's father sang on stage, shoot heroin and rebel against society.  Adam's life begins in tragedy born to a mother who never wanted him and a father who was never present.  He is a lost little boy who is forced to grow up without a parent's love or devoted attention.  He is a little boy who tries so hard to be perfect in an attempt to earn his mother's love and his father's attention.  Daddy Was a Punk Rocker is heartbreaking yet heartwarming; it is depressing yet inspiring; it is a must-read.The "characters" in this memoir, Adam's family, are flawed; flawed well beyond what most readers will be able to truly identified with but the feeling of feeling of being "not quite good enough" is quite relatable.  At some point in their lives most people have felt like they can't live up to the expectations placed upon them by family, friends, teachers, bosses, etc.  Adam's hurt comes from being born to a heroin-addicted mother who never wanted to be pregnant, by an absent father who always promised to be there for him and yet never was and other relatives who were never really fully present.  Adam's feeling of self-doubt and personal worthlessness led him off on a journey that has included living in at least 9 locations throughout Europe, Australia, various Islands, Mexico and the United States.  He has held over 30 jobs including coaching sports, a waiter in a casino, and a stilt-walker.  He has lived a life of searching for affirmation that, at some point, he has become good enough.Does Adam ever reach a point where he feels good enough?  Can anyone ever truly heal from a childhood and life of loneliness and neglect?  Daddy Was a Punk Rocker does include some heartwarming stories and tender moments.  Adam works a few highly unique jobs, meets and marries a lovely woman named Lee and becomes a world traveler.  Can this happiness last?  You have to read the book to find out where Adam's life journey is now.  It is a challenging book and it isn't a book for everyone.  It will evoke powerful emotions from a reader and may turn off some people.  It's probably not a book for sensitive readers but it's certainly a book worth giving a chance.Ashley LaMarClosed the Cover