Review of Firstborn Daddyman
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Prisca Mwango
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- Latest Review: Firstborn Daddyman by Frank Bailey
Review of Firstborn Daddyman
[Following is a volunteer review of "Firstborn Daddyman" by Frank Bailey.]
The book Firstborn Daddyman written by Frank Bailey is a story about a man who's life is radically transformed after a christian conversion from a life of drugs, women and crime. A life he describes in detail from childhood to adulthood through to the age of fifty-five. The writer towards the end of the book regrets that three quarters of his life, as he reflects, had been spend in a downward path of destruction of which he seeks to save others from. Frank Bailey calls himself Firsborn Daddyman because he feels that throughout his life he receives God's favor and protection which he likens to the favor a firstborn only male child born in a female headed household with younger female sisters and cousins would receive.
The book opens with a well written introduction and the first few chapters 1-3 about his childhood, teen years, and life as a marine and discharge from it, are well written and in chronological order. Here there are few grammatical errors and the writer lifts you through a timeline of events about his early years and also opens up a readers mind to how fragile the life of a child especially a boy child from a disadvantaged community and broken home is vulnerable to a life of drugs and crime and how this life is slowly introduced to him.
Following these chapters, chapters 4-7 now take a monotonous turn into a detailed and almost daily account of his life of drugs and crime. Here the writer loses sight of the plot and grammatical errors start to show up as the writer becomes introspective; as though he were talking to himself or peers during that era as evidenced by the use of the word "dude" which I feel is not appropriate if the book is to be considered for a wider audience. The narrative also shifts back and forth from reported to first person speech almost unintentionally because being a crucial time in the writers life and the mix of emotions that he went through during this era, he cannot separate himself from the act of writing and living the memory of those years.
Chapter 7 is placed in the book almost awkwardly as an inconclusive confession, something that the writer struggles to bring out in a direct manner. Perhaps the TABOO subject could have been slotted in again in a chronological manner as events happen. No wonder the writer refers to this issue which alludes to incest in the community and a 'skeleton in the closet'. It was difficult for him to present.
For these chapters the writer could have done well to put the drug years through to the year of restoration in chronological order, to allow the reader to clearly follow his path from the drug addict to the drug lord, to his downfall and his subsequent restoration.
Despite this, towards the end of the book the writer settles back in the mood he was in at the beginning of the book and there are not many repetitions of storylines in the following chapters. However he could have focused more on his conversion without having to rush to its conclusion by omitting a larger part of events from Chapter 9 as a drug kingpin as its similar to events that occurred in Chapters 5-7.
The book is suitable for teenagers that are coming of age especially those struggling with a life of addiction and crime, for the incarcerated and those in reformatory institutions to know that there is hope for restoration from addiction and negative vices. It is also suitable for all high school students in order to deter them from being lured to such a life as they can read a first hand example of the consequences of such a life.
The stories' ending is beautiful and leaves you wanting to read just one more chapter. Indeed the writer did achieve what he set out to do when writing the book and that is to feel him. You clearly feel transported into his life and for a few days you live the ins and outs of Frank Bailey's life and this is why I have chosen to give this book a rating of 3 out of 4.
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Firstborn Daddyman
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book Firstborn Daddyman written by Frank Bailey is a story about a man who's life is radically transformed after a christian conversion from a life of drugs, women and crime. A life he describes in detail from childhood to adulthood through to the age of fifty-five. The writer towards the end of the book regrets that three quarters of his life, as he reflects, had been spend in a downward path of destruction of which he seeks to save others from. Frank Bailey calls himself Firsborn Daddyman because he feels that throughout his life he receives God's favor and protection which he likens to the favor a firstborn only male child born in a female headed household with younger female sisters and cousins would receive.
The book opens with a well written introduction and the first few chapters 1-3 about his childhood, teen years, and life as a marine and discharge from it, are well written and in chronological order. Here there are few grammatical errors and the writer lifts you through a timeline of events about his early years and also opens up a readers mind to how fragile the life of a child especially a boy child from a disadvantaged community and broken home is vulnerable to a life of drugs and crime and how this life is slowly introduced to him.
Following these chapters, chapters 4-7 now take a monotonous turn into a detailed and almost daily account of his life of drugs and crime. Here the writer loses sight of the plot and grammatical errors start to show up as the writer becomes introspective; as though he were talking to himself or peers during that era as evidenced by the use of the word "dude" which I feel is not appropriate if the book is to be considered for a wider audience. The narrative also shifts back and forth from reported to first person speech almost unintentionally because being a crucial time in the writers life and the mix of emotions that he went through during this era, he cannot separate himself from the act of writing and living the memory of those years.
Chapter 7 is placed in the book almost awkwardly as an inconclusive confession, something that the writer struggles to bring out in a direct manner. Perhaps the TABOO subject could have been slotted in again in a chronological manner as events happen. No wonder the writer refers to this issue which alludes to incest in the community and a 'skeleton in the closet'. It was difficult for him to present.
For these chapters the writer could have done well to put the drug years through to the year of restoration in chronological order, to allow the reader to clearly follow his path from the drug addict to the drug lord, to his downfall and his subsequent restoration.
Despite this, towards the end of the book the writer settles back in the mood he was in at the beginning of the book and there are not many repetitions of storylines in the following chapters. However he could have focused more on his conversion without having to rush to its conclusion by omitting a larger part of events from Chapter 9 as a drug kingpin as its similar to events that occurred in Chapters 5-7.
The book is suitable for teenagers that are coming of age especially those struggling with a life of addiction and crime, for the incarcerated and those in reformatory institutions to know that there is hope for restoration from addiction and negative vices. It is also suitable for all high school students in order to deter them from being lured to such a life as they can read a first hand example of the consequences of such a life.
The stories' ending is beautiful and leaves you wanting to read just one more chapter. Indeed the writer did achieve what he set out to do when writing the book and that is to feel him. You clearly feel transported into his life and for a few days you live the ins and outs of Frank Bailey's life and this is why I have chosen to give this book a rating of 3 out of 4.
******
Firstborn Daddyman
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Firstborn Daddyman by Frank Bailey
