Book Review

Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary, WV Department of Education and the Arts

None Call Me Dad is a compelling opus that Ky Owen brings us as he chronicles experiences from the early years of the youngsters who came into his life to their rewarding maturity. Ky and Tammy shepherded, shielded and sheltered a diverse group of young people, often on virtually a moment’s notice, standing by through the trials and tribulations of parenting an alternative family. Mr. Owen’s brilliantly textured rendering of this unusual family formation is crafted with love, delight, and awe and is filled with colorful characters created with narrative grace.

His recollections are thoughtful, touching, and entrancing as he reveals with clarity sights and situations surrounding growth — both in his charges and in his own progress as the dad in a happenstance parental unit. His perceptions throughout are humorous, sharp, and poignant as he recalls and relates the fears and foibles of alternative parenthood.

This compelling and complicated tale is rendered in imaginatively titled chapters, ending with an epilogue that encapsulates Mr. Owen’s close and fulfilling relationships with Aaron, Sierra, Justin, Brooke, Cody, and Haley.  It is a true and positive testament to that when ”unidentified caller” flashes on Ky’s cellphone he answers — witnessing to his winning philosophy that “they’re my kids, and I’ll always be here for them, even though none call me Dad.”  Each chapter of this moving epistle underscores a legacy of love and trust and a belief in the hope that tomorrow brings.

A delightful read by a budding West Virginia author!