This is certainly an unusual tale. Here we have Caleb, a child from a single and destitute mother, who is taken in by a trusted friend of the family. The father figure for Caleb has never been a father; he is not married and has little experience with children. Despite all of this, the two blend well together and create their own version of “family” – with just the two of them.
Issues from raising a child as a single father, without a mothers presence and tackling stereotyped views that a man cannot adopt a child by himself were raised in a compelling manor right from the start. Difficulties in handling corrupt and ruined systems in some medical and childcare arenas are also raised with strong emotion. The author brings up the fact that schools who teach children as a generic mass rather than focusing on the individual, leave too many children on their own. Careless doctors, thoughtless education systems, unreasonable and unbending childcare rules All of these are addressed in Calebs Branch.
Young Caleb is a gifted and abused child that is overdosed with prescription drugs, strung out and hyper active when he arrives at his new home. He has a...