Sins of the Son

This ia a book written by Carlton Stowers about his own life, and his own son who turns into a murderer. It is SO well done. The book is interesting enough as a true-crime book, but Stowers obviously has the inside information about all of the characters in the book. He is quick to point out mistakes he made as a parent while also acknowledging that he was not at fault for what eventually happened, you can feel the pain he went through for years with his son, and he becomes an even more admirable man once you learn that he fought for his kids and raised them on his own once he was divorced from their mother. Any parent who has ever struggled with an out-of-control child will love this book, any true-crime fan will love this book. I did not want it to end. This one is a must-read!

I've just finished reading this book, and although I found it hard at times to put it down, what struck me when I finished the book was that there is little to no mention of the other family that was affected by the author's son. I understand that the purpose of the book could have been to find out where the father went wrong, but what about some sort of consolation for the family of the murdered victim? Aside from that, the writing was engaging and I look forward to reading more of Carlton Stower's books.

This true story is every parent's worst nightmare. Carlton Stowers was a journalist raising his two sons. His oldest son, Anson, had been a good child. He had a normal youth that involved sports and animals. In school, he did well and was not a problem. Then, he began to change.How did this normal child turn to a life of crime, drugs, and eventually murder? This is an excellent book. It addresses the issue of a child's misbehavior from the point of a father, a journalist, and an award-winning true crime writer. He deals with the issues of his son honestly and openly, as only the person experiencing the crisis can. However, he fails to examine his own problems. Since the title is "Sins of the Son," I suppose he did not feel that the sins of the father would be pertinent. Personally, I feel that the father is as much at fault as the son.Carlton Stowers is the author of To The Last Breath and Careless Whispers. He has won the Edgar Award twice.

Carlton Stowers, renowned author and father of two sons recounts his odyssey with his oldest son, Anson E. Stowers.The author's life with Jana, the mother of his sons got off to an inauspicious start when he first realized Jana was pregnant. Anson was born in May of 1963 and developed normally the first few years of his life. When his brother Ashley was born in January of 1967, Anson, then 4 appeared to take his brother's birth in stride. He also appeared to be unphased by his family's numerous moves within Texas and New Mexico due to the author's job offers. Problems arose first with Jana. Shortly after Ashley was born, she began writing hot checks, overspending on clothes and lying to the author about the origin of her purposes. She told flimsy lies about a "friend" buying clothes and deciding to give them to her, replete with tags. Bank notices and other embarrassing business problems helped weaken the already deteriorating marriage. By 1973, Stowers had moved out. Anson was then 10 and Ashley 6. The years 1973-74 were marked by numerous court wranglings in custody disputes. By early 1974 Stowers eventually gained custody of his sons after Jana insisted he come get them as she had packed all their belongings.In 1973 the male Stowers moved to the small Texas Hill Country town of Comfort, where they would be invited to sit on stage with singer Willie Nelson when he performed there. It was in this close knit community that the boys thrived. Anson became active in his school band and even made friends.By 1976 problems cropped up again. An ugly confrontation with Jana and her father over bad checks, Anson's shoplifting and Stowers' second marriage all served to strain the interpersonal relationships among them all. Stowers' second wife Sandy was an interesting paradox. On the one hand she is described as fiercely independent with her own interests, one of which was ornithology. On the other hand, she is described as highly infantile, prone to tantrums and door slamming sessions. One memorable episode had me cheering for Stowers when, tired of Sandy's babyish behavior and demands that he take care of her garden, took a stand. I like the way he went out to a farmer's market and purchased large quantities of produce so he "would never have to set foot in that doggone garden again." I was irritated with Sandy's behavior. Anson was openly defiant to her because she sang Ashley's praises and made negative comparisons between the boys. Anson responded to the 1976 custody hearing and his parents' marital discord by taking drugs and running away. It was during this period that Stowers moved the boys to Cedar Hill, a Dallas suburb. Some peace was achieved when he was awarded custody of the boys on June 15, 1977.Anson's life continued spiraling downward. He was expelled from 9th grade and a traumatic episode at a private school soured him on further education. More brushes with the law ensued and by 1979 Anson, then 16, stole a truck. On September 9, 1980 he

You'll come away a better person for having read this gripping true story about a father's struggle to relate to a rebellious son and then his realization that the love he has had for the boy throughout the years is all that he can offer. And he gives that love to a young man behind bars for murder as he seeks to find even a tiny thread of the bond that lies between father and son. What rare courage to write, and what insight into the human condition