cover image The Broken King: A Memoir

The Broken King: A Memoir

Michael Thomas. Grove, $28 (432p) ISBN 978-0-8021-2014-4

Novelist Thomas (Man Gone Down) makes his nonfiction debut with a haunting and poetic profile of the men in his family. In an effort to untangle his identity as “a hard man” prone to depression, anger, and intolerance, Thomas considers his own life in relationship to that of his distant father, Dave; his older brother, David; and his two sons, Alex and Miles. He drifts from memories of Red Sox fandom and racist microaggressions while growing up Black in the Boston suburbs to reflections on his own parenting style, admitting that his hubristic obsession with language and aesthetics—inherited from his father—have made him “at best a brooding malcontent” who “may have made for an interesting dinner guest,” but was “a lousy father.” David emerges as a particularly fascinating figure, a charismatic “combination of the Jello Pudding Bill Cosby and Satan,” who floats in and out of Thomas’s life, struggling with addiction and sometimes stealing from his younger brother after his cons and faulty business ideas go awry. Gradually, Thomas’s memories and reflections accumulate into a poignant and potent mosaic, chronicling his attempts to overcome family dysfunction and fumble his way toward stability. It’s a stirring achievement. Agent: Maria Massie, Massie & McQuilkin Literary. (Aug.)