She burst into tears, then accused me of breaking my 'pinkie promise' I'd made to her about never getting a divorce. Her emotions were so deep. I don't think Jack would have reacted the same way. They're unsure of how they're supposed to behave, so fatherhood is being redefined. In Faithful Traveler he redefines his own role and tries to help others do the same.
Men turn to sex, drugs, booze, too much golf, fishing all the time.
Look at the character Silent Sam in my book. He's a composite of three of my best friends, all of whom had breakdowns that summer. They're highly successful men, and all three hit their early 40s and had a meltdown. The way Dodson sees it, the journey with Maggie may have saved him from a similar fate. When we left Maine, my faith had been shaken.