Sins of the Father [NOOK Book]

The Sons Must Pay

When Abraham Martin decides to acknowledge the outside children he fathered 30 years ago, he did not foresee how it would irrevocably affect the lives of his loved ones. Although his wife, Saralyn, forgave him, she is not making it easy for him and their son, Isaac, left the family business, MEEG, the empire Abraham built that would he was to inherit. Now Abraham's wealth is to be divided three ways, to include his other son, Michael and his daughter, Deborah. Angela Benson explores the truth and consequences of one man's choices in Sins of the Father.

Now that Abraham has publicly acknowledged Michael and Deborah, their mother, Leah, is determined that Abraham does right by them, in every aspect of his life. Deborah, although still hurt from being abandoned by her father, is more amenable to him and she and Abraham begin to build a relationship. He gives her a production company to run but Michael wants no part of Abraham's olive branch or his money--- or so he says. Michael's bitterness consumes him to the point his marriage to Josette suffers and his every thought is of revenge. How far will he go to make Abraham pay?

Abraham knows he has been less than perfect and just when he tries to right his world, everything around him seems to falling apart; his wife is gives him an ultimatum, he is estranged from one son and the other one does not want to have anything to do with him. A tragic accident has Abraham rethinking his life and the choices he has made. Meanwhile, Isaac is also having marital problems with Rebecca when the six degrees of separation hits close to home. Deborah finds herself attracted to Abraham's attorney and right hand man, Alan Weems, a man old enough to be her father. And it appears Leah has secrets of her own.

Angela Benson has written a story with a soap opera vibe and enough suspense and surprises to keep one turning the pages to see where it will all end. She has taken a departure from her past Christian novels, in fact, I would not categorize this story as Christian fiction, it has more of a contemporary fiction feel. There were only subtle references to religion but it did not get past me the biblical references in the analogy of the concept of the theme and the biblical names of the characters. In the Bible, Abraham is married to Sarah, has a son name Isaac and has another son with another woman. The names Leah, Rebecca and Deborah are also in the Bible. There were a couple of storylines that were left dangling, but all in all, I would recommend as an entertaining summer read and pleasing addition to Benson fan's libraries.

Dera R. Williams
APOOO BookClub

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

What We Deserve

When Angela Benson put on her blog the cover of Sins of the Father, and asked her readers to guess what the book is about based on the cover and the title, I obviously had no clue. My guess was of a child paying for coming in contact with the things her father did before and having to deal with it in order to overcome an issue of her own. I was partially right, but mostly wrong. It does not matter because I truly enjoyed the book anyway.

I remember hearing a saying that parents should watch what they say or do because their children or future grandchildren would be the ones to pay for their mistakes. In Sins of the Father, everyone involved paid for the mistakes made by Abraham Martin, the father, thirty years before. Abraham had three children, but he openly acknowledged only the son he had with his wife, Saralyn. When Abraham tries to make things right, and bring together Michael and Deborah, the children he ignored, with Isaac, the son he raised proudly, he gets more than what he hoped for. Would any of his children ever forgive him for his past mistakes? Can they come together as one big dysfunctional family? Or will he lose all he had and ever wanted?

Benson developed characters that I could easily see myself coming in contact with on a daily basis. I could envision myself as Isaac (yes, I know he is a male and I am not). He reminds me of myself and how I think. The emotions of all the characters are believable. I will admit I did not like the way the book ended, but I understand it. Benson's ending was more realistic and a better one unlike my fairytale dream of an ending. I know Benson writes in the Christian-fiction genre, but Sins of the Father did not read like a Christian-fiction book. It read more like contemporary fiction with a hint of religion. There was no over abundance of preaching that tends to bore some readers. With the good plot and the well-developed characters, I recommend Sins of the Father to readers who enjoy contemporary and Christian fiction.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

What Would You Do

In the drama-filled book, Sins of the Father, by Angela Benson, the reader will be engrossed in reading what happens, once Abraham Martin decides to "publically" acknowledge his children by a former girl friend 30 years after he walked out of their lives to marry Saralyn to help advance his business ambitions.

This change-of-heart came about after finding a soul-awaking letter from his deceased mother urging him to do the right thing and form a relationship with daughter, Deborah, and son, Michael, before it is too late. Since business and financial success is all that he knows, Abraham decides to make amends the only way he knows, to give Deborah and Michael ownership in his company. As a man used to making decisions, Abraham puts his plan into action, but a health crisis has him wondering if he waited too late to make amends.

In the meantime, each of the characters will have to decide what Abraham's decision means to them. Daughter, Deborah who readily accepts her father and his offer to run one of his business units, wonders if her happiness will now cost her relationship with brother Michael. Michael now wonders how this plan will affect his plans for revenge to financially ruin his father. Their mother, Leah, wonders if she is worthy of the love of the new man in her life and can she move on from the abandonment she suffered for so many years. Wife, Saralyn wonders if all of her sacrifices over the years were for nothing and Isaac, the heir now has a personal crisis that he wonders if it is worth resolving.

I enjoyed this story as there was always more than met the eye and it kept me turning the pages as I wondered how this family was to resolve their issues of betrayal, rage and love for each other and to themselves. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories with themes of redemption, forgiveness and love within a family.

Reviewed By Beverly
APOOO BookClub
July 12, 2009

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

All My Children

When Abraham Martin publicly acknowledged his two children, Michael and Deborah, after ignoring them for 30 years, he expected them to easily acclimate into his world. He offered them access to his multimillion dollar business empire, a gesture that could be a serious mistake. While Deborah, who always appeared to be searching for a father figure, accepted Abraham's gesture, Michael could not put aside his anger and vowed to destroy Abraham. In Angela Benson's newest novel, Sins of the Father, Abraham's revelation and the subsequent consequences makes for a drama-filled read with many twists and turns.

Abraham knew his wife, Saralyn, would not be accepting of his "other" family, but he did not anticipate the lengths she would go to protect her son's, position as the first born son. Her animosity towards Michael, Deborah and Leah only added fuel to the raging fire between the families. Then, a medical crisis caused all the family members to look within themselves and decide if they actually liked what they saw. Can or will they put aside their differences and help save the life of a loved one?

I have always thought of Angela Benson as a Christian-fiction author. In this novel, she steps back and offers a more contemporary, drama-filled novel. I was interested in the plot, and kept turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next, however, I just could not muster up any empathy for the characters. Sins of the Father is a good read for those who enjoy family sagas with a lot of drama. I would recommend this novel for your summertime reading list.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review Book Club

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

You Won't Guess The Middle or End of This Book!

Sins of the Father

Sins of the Father by Angela Benson

Abraham Martin, a very successful businessman, has a lot of 'splaining to do as Ricky Ricardo use to say on the I Love Lucy show. At one point in time, his life was totally out of control. All of his decisions seemed to be for his selfish comfort. This is why there are so many secrets and so much emotional following two families in the novel. Really, I could not see a light at the end of the tunnel for Abraham Martin or any of his family and a friend.

I suppose this is why "Sins of the Father" by Angela Benson is a fantastic book. At no minute did I feel bored and want to put the book down to pick up another book. I could not put the book down. I read it between cooking, washing clothes, waiting in the car for my husband and in the doctor's office.

I especially loved the names of the characters in "Sins of the Father." It was impossible not to relate the characters in the book, Leah, Saralynn, Abraham, Isaac, Michael, Rebecca and Deborah to their counterparts in the Bible. At the same time, none of the characters in "Sins of the Father" are exact replicas of the Bible's heroes and heroines. This left room for my imagination to work overtime. It felt like I was piecing together a Biblical jigsaw puzzle or crossword puzzle.

I also liked all the twists and turns. Events took place in the novel that I never would have expected. In other words, what happens in "Sins of The Father" is totally unpredictable.

I definitely like the fact that Angela Benson doesn't preach. Each character struggles with some part of their human nature as they try to forgive and forget, prioritize the material vs. the spiritual, going forward in life and beginning again and striving to have unconditional love. I look forward to reading more books by Angela Benson.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Resentment, Anger & Pride/3.5

Entrepreneurial genius and entertainment trendsetter, Abraham Martin has a wife, Saralyn, and a son, Isaac. He also has another son, Michael, and a daughter, Deborah, and now, after thirty years of acting like they didn't exist, he's reaching out. Deborah and Michael grew up without their father. Leah Thomas raised them. She struggled as a single mother and not once did she bad mouth Abraham, who didn't do anywhere near as much as he could have to supply their needs. Not hearing negative comments about Abraham from her mother's lips made all the difference to Deborah, who longed to have a relationship with her father. But Michael didn't want to get to know Abraham and forget about forgiving him for past mistakes. He despised the man who abandoned him and all he wanted was revenge. Sins of the Father has seventy chapters, but they aren't long and drawn out; I appreciated that. I loved the close brother/sister relationship between Michael and Deborah. Isaac got on my nerves, the way he treated his wife, Rebecca for a choice she had made so long ago. Although it wasn't exactly what I expected, I had a feeling something was going to happen to change his attitude. And Michael was something else! All he could think about was making his father pay for not being there for him when he was growing up and that was understandable. But he was so blinded by hate that he couldn't see how he was affecting the ones closest to him - that was unfortunate. His sarcasm was funny sometimes, though. Angela Benson is a good storyteller. The first book I read of hers was Up Pops the Devil and it is now one of my favorite reads. I loved that book! This one was pretty good. There was a lot of resentment, anger and pride, which made for good drama, and I knew Benson would have some humor in there. I like when a story can make me laugh. I also like that this story didn't have a happily ever after ending. Because of the personalities of certain characters, that made the epilogue more realistic. Forgiveness is a process that takes longer for some than others. And still, some never forgive. Sad, but true.

"Sins Of The Father is absolutely riveting."

"Sins Of The Father is absolutely riveting. This compelling novel is powerful and engaging from beginning to end. It is a story of redemption that depicts how secrets destroy trust and devastate lives."

"Abraham Martin is a wealthy man who has made his fortune as a media mogul. After leading a highly successful life he decides to reveal a secret that ultimately shatters his marriage to his socialite wife, Saralyn and strains his relationship with their son Isaac."

"For thirty years, Abraham chose to hide the fact that he has two other children with Leah Thomas, a woman from his past. His conscious gets the best of him and he decides to do what is right. He now wants His daughter Deborah and his other son, Michael to come aboard and work at the family business."

Deborah is somewhat hopeful for the opportunity to establish a relationship with her father. However, Michael holds contempt for the man who abandoned them and is out for revenge at any cost."

"Abraham suffers a health crisis and this challenges the family to make some difficult choices. They must decide what is more important, the sins of a father or that a father acknowledges his mistake and tries to make amends before it is too late."

Angela Benson has done it again!

This was a wonderful story to me. The characters reminds you of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar in the Bible as far as their children birth rights. Angela did a great job with all the characters. The plot was excellent. I believe this is a good book club read.

Not afraid to answer the tough questions

She has done it again. Angela deals with hard issues, she doesn't back down from anything! In "Up Pops the Devil" her main character is a man just released from prison after serving 2 years for dealing drugs. In "Sins of the Father" we get to meet Abraham, his wife Saralyn and his son Isaac with his wife Rebecca (sound familiar?). Abraham is a VERY successful media mogul that has a secret... or rather HAD a secret. Oh, yes, he has a second family that he has only just acknowledged. That's right, a son and daughter that are adults now and Abraham decides he needs to make everything right.

But can you really do that after a lifetime of neglect? And what about the damage to his wife and son? Can Abraham pull them all together and restore everyone to their rightful places? And what about when something happens to Abraham? What does it take to really forgive?

I said that Angela isn't afraid to ask the tough questions, and she's not. She's also not afraid to answer them. I love Angela's style and her substance. I will read any book that she writes, I am impressed!

Karma Has A Way

Abraham Martin is a successful media mogul, heading an empire with humble beginnings tied to his wife, Saralyn's, family. Abraham and Saralyn's only son, Isaac, is their only child and sole heir, or so he thinks. Enter Leah, Deborah and Michael, Abraham Martin's "other" family, and all hell breaks loose. The Martin family ties are on shaky ground and so is MEEG, the media and entertainment conglomerate that has sustained Abraham, Saralyn and Isaac for years. Now adults, Abraham attempts to reconcile the relationships with his "outside" children and their mother, Leah. Abraham Martin quickly learns that he cannot please everyone, especially his wife, Saralyn, and his stepson, Michael.

Author, Angela Benson, adds twists and turns to the story that will leave the reader wondering just how things will pan out for this blending family. Sins of the Father deals with marital and familial issues, the affects of absent fathers on their children, and allows readers to examine the morals and values of each character. I was happy to see a burgeoning relationship between Abraham, Isaac and Deborah by the end of the story. Admittedly, Ms. Benson left me hanging with Saralyn and Michael's characters. I do wonder if they will ever come to a meeting of the minds. I also am uncertain about the future of MEEG.

This was a good read. The book flowed well for me and I'd read another selection from this author.

engaging contemporary drama

Feeling remorse that he never recognized his two children from out of wedlock and encouraged by a letter his late mom left him, Abraham Martin, after informing his beloved wife Saralyn what he did three decades ago just before he married her, admits he sired Michael and Deborah with their mom Leah. His revelation upsets his son, Isaac, who quits abruptly the family business, MEEG. As he tries to develop a relationship with the two adults he abandoned when they were babies and patch up the split with Isaac, Leah demands Abraham take care of his other offspring.

Deborah welcomes his efforts and is elated he has given her a firm to manage while her brother Michael rejects everything offered by Abraham to him. His acrimony impacts his relationships with his mom and wife Josette as he is filled with rage and a thirst of vengeance. Isaac also takes his anger with his dad into his relationship with his spouse Rebecca. Meanwhile the only seemingly contented child of his since his pronouncement Deborah is attracted to Abraham's attorney, Alan Weems, who is the same age as her parents, which has her mom worried that her daughter seeks a father figure.

With a modernizing of the relationships of the biblical Abraham, Angela Benson provides an engaging contemporary drama. The story line feels like a soap opera as one melodramatic event follows another. Still the cast is full dimensional (even Abraham's late mother) with each reacting differently to the patriarch's revelations. Fans will appreciate the SINS OF THE FATHER as Abraham's efforts for redemption seem to have fallen apart as his past transgressions with two women appears to be repeated by his offspring.

Harriet Klausner

No text was provided for this review.