The Good Father

Prolific author Chamberlain (Kiss River) explores themes of family loyalty, grief, and healing around Travis Brown, a good man in an impossible situation. Twenty-three-year-old single dad Travis is struggling to get by with his young daughter, Bella, before a fire destroys their home and kills his mother. Now without child care, Travis finds it hard to secure work, and grows desperate. So when his neighbor suggests a business opportunity in Raleigh, N.C., Travis jumps at the chance. He takes Bella to Raleigh, where he discovers that the work he’s accepted is trafficking cocaine. Though he balks at first, Travis decides that he has little choice. He leaves Bella with Erin, a local coffee shop waitress who recently lost her own daughter, and does the job, which goes awry, leaving Travis and Bella’s lives in danger. Erin tries to take Bella to safety, but the drug dealers find them and hold them hostage until Travis can bring them a shipment of drugs that he’s already abandoned. Chamberlain’s keen grasp of regret and grief makes for a surprisingly thoughtful and compelling tale. Agent: Susan Ginsburg, Writers House. (May)