Father Unknown

This is a novel about a girl who was born and raised in Mississippi. She was an only child. Her parents were not demonstrative in their affection for each other and with her. She craves for affection and attention. As a result, she begins to act out as a senior in high school. She sneaks out of her home on weekends and ended up getting pregnant outside of wedlock. She had a relationship with two different classmates, either of whom could have been the father of her baby. Breaking the news to her parents is traumatic. She attempted suicide. Her counselor got her to see that it was not entirely her fault as she was starved for affection. Her faith will not allow her to seek an abortion and she refuses to give the baby up for adoption.

Every expectant parent prays that the unborn child will be healthy. When a child is born with disabilities, it calls for great love on the part of the parent to fulfill all the needs and expectations. Parents live for their children and pour out the substance of their being into their child. That is what being a parent means. This novel centers on a child with Down syndrome, born to a single mother. While it is an extra hardship being single, the mother overcomes all obstacles in raising the child.

Later, the father of the child, who has moved on with his life. As a middle-aged man, he came down with stage four cancer. Reflecting on his life, he recognizes that he could be the father. He agrees to a DNA test which proves positive, and he accepted paternity. He wanted to have a relationship with his son and moves back to Mississippi to spend his last year getting to know him. The child with Down syndrome became the sole heir to his father's estate.