Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
One mother's quest to find male mentors to fill the father-shaped void in her son's life Nearly one-third of American children are being raised without a father. Among African-Americans, that number is often reported to be as high as 72%. In this inspiring book, MaryAnne Howland describes how when her son was turning thirteen she reached out to four men from different corners of her life -- some close friends, others merely acquaintances -- to support her fatherless son on his journey into manhood.
Maryanne's son Max has faced many challenges. As a boy without a father figure in his life, as an African-American male in a time when race relations in this country are fraught, and because Max has Cerebral Palsy, he has had to be a warrior. Knowing that adolescence would present a whole new set of challenges, MaryAnne began to feel more and more that there were things her son needed to learn that she as a woman was unable to teach him and so she called upon four men -- an engineer, a philanthropist, a publisher, and a financial planner - to become mentors for Max. Over the next several years these men have shared valuable insights with Max about what it means to be a good man in the face of life's challenges and these lessons, recounted in this book, will serve as a powerful roadmap for anyone wishing to support boys as they approach manhood.
My Gentle Warrior is an inspiring look at the power of great mentoring to change lives.
Synopsis
My Gentle Warrior is an eye-opening look at one mother's determination to provide positive male role models for her son and the power of great mentoring to change lives. When MaryAnne Howland's son was turning thirteen she organized a "Black Mitzvah" rite of passage celebration for him. Max is one of the one in three children in America being raised without a father in the home. Among African-Americans, that number is reported to be as high as 72%. To help fill the father-shaped hole in Max's life as he transitioned from boyhood to manhood, MaryAnne invited four men from different corners of her life --an engineer, a philanthropist, a publisher, and a financial planner--to become Max's mentors.
Max has faced many challenges. As a boy without a consistent father figure in his life, as an African-American male in a time when race relations in this country continue to be fraught, and also because Max was born premature and as a result has Cerebral Palsy, he has had to be a true warrior. On the brink of manhood, his mother wanted to give him the benefit of men who could answer some of the questions she felt that she, as a woman, might not be able to answer. Through his adolescence, Max's mentors have shared valuable insights with him about what it means to be a good man in the face of life's challenges. These lessons, recounted in this book, will serve as a powerful roadmap for anyone wishing to support boys as they approach manhood.
Synopsis
An eye-opening look at one mother's determination to provide positive male role models for her son, and the power of great mentoring to change lives. When MaryAnne Howland's son was turning thirteen she organized a Black Mitzvah rite of passage celebration for him. Max is one of the one-in-three children in America being raised without a father in the home. Among African-Americans, that number is reported to be as high as 72 percent. To help fill the father-shaped hole in Max's life as he transitioned from boyhood to manhood, MaryAnne invited four men from different corners of her life --an engineer, a philanthropist, a publisher, and a financial planner--to become Max's mentors.
Max has faced many challenges. As a boy without a consistent father figure in his life, as an African-American male in a time when race relations in this country continue to be fraught, and also because Max was born premature and as a result has cerebral palsy, he has had to be a true warrior. On the brink of manhood, his mother wanted to give him the benefit of men who could answer some of the questions she felt that she, as a woman, might not be able to answer. Through his adolescence, Max's mentors have shared valuable insights with him about what it means to be a good man in the face of life's challenges. These lessons, recounted in this book, will serve as a powerful roadmap for anyone wishing to support boys as they approach manhood.