HOLDIN UP THE SKY

In this raw memoir, a father reflects on a series of life lessons.

Campbell candidly shares his experiences raising three children alongside his wife, Linda. Their oldest daughter, Alana, was born at an alternative birth center with no complications. Three years later, their second daughter, Kathryn, was also born without any trouble—only to be diagnosed with viral myocarditis (a life-threatening infection that attacks the heart) at just 10 days old. Kathryn managed to pull through despite a one-in-10 chance of survival, but she continues to live with various disabilities. Their youngest child, a son named Eric, was diagnosed with significant hearing loss as a toddler. In addition to stories about his children, Campbell touches on everything from his marriage to work stress to money woes. He also reflects upon the complicated relationship he had with his own “volcanic” father, and how that experience has made him all the more determined to guide his children through the world with love and compassion while being attuned to their vastly differing needs. The memoir concludes on a note of pride as Campbell discusses his children’s growing independence throughout the years. The narrative is written with clarity and unusual insight, even when detailing the most emotional moments: As his son sobs, believing his hearing has completely gone for good, Campbell muses, “[Eric] concluded in some primitive way that since his sister had nearly died, and also had a hearing loss, that he too faced the prospect of death. Many times, in my attempts to navigate the arc of fatherhood, I tried silently to probe into Eric’s and Kathryn’s psyches.” The dialogue sometimes comes across as a bit stiff, but this never overshadows the memoir’s heartbreaking yet inspirational portrait of a family. Ultimately, while Campbell’s specific hardships may not be relatable to all readers, the author’s love for and desire to do right by his children certainly will be.

An eloquently written and insightful look at the daily setbacks and victories that make up parenthood.