Above the Clouds: A Reunion of Father and Son

The author of Above The Clouds, Jonathan Bach, was two years old when his father, famous author Richard Bach, decided he must leave his family and follow his dreams. Jonathan, named after his father's most famous character Jonathan Livingston Seagull, tells us what it was like growing up with an absentee father. His description of family life with his brothers and sisters is vividly told and the tragic death of a family member is especially poignant. When his mother re-marries we experience the confusion and adjustments that have to be made to accommodate his strict new stepfather. Jonathan's decision to study Journalism was obviously a good choice as he shows in Above the Clouds that he has a rare talent for keeping his readers captivated.Jonathan eventually makes the agonizing decision to call his father and let him know what he thinks of him. We experience the chest pounding fear first hand when he finally dials the number and talks to his father for the first time in years I bought this book out of curiosity about Richard Bach; I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself more interested in Jonathan and his story and at how well he told it. Jonathan's style is easy to read and well organized and you'll find yourself experiencing his pain and joy as the book unfolds. If you can find a copy of this book I enthusiastically recommend it! Jonathan, write another one!

I read this immediately after finishing The Bridge Across Forever. It was like watching a "behind-the-scenes" documentary about one of my favorite movies!Perhaps that's an exaggeration, but it's interesting to see how the events in Richard's life from "Bridge" are reflected in Jonathan's account. It's not often enough that you get to see the same story told from different points of view. It was fascinating to be able to attach the events in "Bridge" to the events in this book. Also, because Jonathan is about my age, it was interesting to remember what *I* was doing at the time he made some of his journal entries.Originally I picked up this book to get a look at the nonfiction side of Richard Bach. I had always wondered what kind of dad a guy like Richard would be, and whether or not he truly managed to live up to his ideals. The answers were indeed in this book. But I realized two other things as well:1. Forget about Richard, this is a great book about parents and children and the difficulty of mending (or in this case, demolishing) fences between the generations. Even if no one had ever heard of Richard Bach, this would have been a great book in that respect.2. Jonathan Bach is a GREAT writer, and I really hope he has another book in the works! I had wondered if Jonathan would be a sort of Richard Lite. Having read Above the Clouds, I would have to say no, Jonathan Bach is Jonathan Bach, period. His style is similar, but distinctly different.

This is a really great book, by a young man who is a superb writer in his own right. I picked up the book at the library (since it's now out of print) because I was devastated to learn (under the reviews of Bridge Across Forever) that Richard Bach and Leslie Parrish-Bach had split up. I was surprised to learn that Richard Bach even had six (!) kids, and even more surprised to learn that one was a writer. I thought it would be interesting to read his story, because I wanted a more realistic view of Richard Bach, the "guru of soulmates" (as Jonathan amusingly refers to his father in Above the Clouds). It was good to get this other view of Richard Bach. It's so easy to idealize the guy, even though he is clearly far from perfect. In Richard's books, he and Leslie come off as so mystical and always in tune with each other. Jonathan's book provides a refreshing point of view on Richard Bach, the man who couldn't hack fatherhood and who abandoned his family to find his own fulfillment. (He could well be the patron saint of the Me Generation.) Lord knows what happened to split up Richard and Leslie, but Jonathan's account of his reconciliation with his father was inspiring -- a great reminder that those of us with less-than-perfect parents can ultimately come to peace with them. I recommend this for all Richard Bach fans ... it really does cut the guy down to size and bring him back to earth.I'm looking forward to the next offering by Jonathan Bach ... it's been seven years since this book came out. Anyone know what he's been up to since then?

This is a wonderful book! It is essential reading - not just for fans of his father, but for everyone! Reading about Jonathan's coming to terms with his father's desertion is inspiring. He is terrifically talented.

Jonathan had true courage on writing this book, where he exposed himself and his family life thru his childhood. And also explained hidden things that Richard's fans wanted to know about him. Most of all, his example of how he reached his father, althought initially with anger, later with curiosity, and finally with respect, is what many people need to learn and bring to their own lives. How can someone approach to a unknow and important figure in its life? This book is ONE of the possible answers.