“Savage and tender. In Fugitive Son AramÍs CalderÓn gives a searing portrait of his drug-dealing, prison-escapee father who evades authorities for a year with his wife and four children in tow. CalderÓn’s unsentimental memoir pulses with horror and love as his eleven-year-old self wrestles with his father’s Islamic faith and his own uncertain journey toward manhood. CalderÓn’s prose is spare and unyielding.”-Liam Corley, author of Unwound: Poems from Enduring Wars and Changelings: Insurgence
“Intensely personal and extremely well told, Fugitive Son delivers a most unusual and compelling coming-of-age true story that doesn’t pull punches. Fraught with suspense and a brand of strict lawlessness never seen before, the father and son here are like no others. Among the struggles and heartbreak, there is hope, and ultimately a new flavor of redemption. Poignant is an understatement. This book is intriguing, entertaining, and severely moving.”-Jeffery Hess, author of No Salvation, the Beachhead trilogy, and Pascagoula Run
“A heartbreaking and eye-opening book. Bold, plainspoken, and cosmopolitan, Fugitive Son tells the story of a boy who wants to know the truth about his mysterious Argentinian father who just happens to be Muslim. AramÍs CalderÓn has crafted a fascinating memoir about family, politics, and religion. I couldn’t put it down.”-M. C. Armstrong, author of The Mysteries of Haditha and American Delphi
“A gritty, brutally honest, unflinchingly authentic, finely nuanced, richly detailed, fast-paced, and ultimately deeply moving personal record of hard-won strength and innermost resilience. Fugitive Son is a remarkably talented new writer’s effort to raise a bulwark against despair.”-Mikhail Iossel, author of Love like Water, Love like Fire
