The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman

The Tank Man's Son is supposed to be a memoir as powerful as Angela's Ashes. Since I loved that, I had high expectations of this. While the book isn't quite Angela's Ashes (and let's face it, it would be tremendously difficult to live up to that), it is a moving read.

Mark Bouman is the Tank Man's Son. He grew up with an overbearing, Neo-Nazi father, who (as his mother said), "valued things and used people". Among other things, his father got a tank, even though the family was struggling to get by. Hence the reputation as the Tank Man's Son, and a huge struggle to fit in. The story is quite sad for most of the book, but it does have a happy ending, as Mark learns his true worth in the eyes of God and manages to pull his life together and even learn to forgive his father.

Oh, and while there was a trigger warning about language, I found it pretty mild. Or at least, it's pretty run of the mill for most fiction aimed at adults.

In fact, if I were to complain about something, I would say that I was more interested in how a Neo-Nazi managed to get by in America without any one (aka the CIA or FBI) taking note. But the book was short on details. So to me, his dad was more of an abusive dad, which while no less tragic, isn't exactly "neo-Nazi".

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this memoir. While the subject matter was dark, this was an ultimately inspiring book about how God can use anyone.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.