He's My Dad

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

stories do not always end with happily ever after

Twelve- year-old Z J is the son of Super Bowl champion Zachary Johnson. To fans, this football legend is a 223-pound powerhouse, the player who gives the game everything he’s got. Game after game. ​Football is an important part of ZJ's family life. For him it is huddling under a blanket with mom, sitting close to the action.

The superstar is more than an athlete on the field. He’s the man who carried his son on his shoulders, shared family picnics in Central Park, played friendly games of touch with the neighborhood kids.

he's my dad, which means
​he’s my every single thing.

Then things change. ​For reasons Z J doesn’t understand, dad is no longer going to practice. He sits at home, sometimes starring out the window and seeing nothing. His head constantly hurts. He is often angry. He forgets his son's name.

Numerous consultations with medical professionals eventually confirm that his father suffers with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease for which there is no cure. This will be ZJ's life going forward. It is not the happily ever after he pictured. While painfully realistic, the story is hopeful. As this young man struggles with a new normal, the support of his family (particularly his mother), his friends, and his music become his anchor. ​

A composer and guitarist, music becomes increasingly important, allowing him to express himself. His friends, known as the Fantastic Four are inseparable. The boys show up for the important events and the everyday moments, always loyal and supportive.

Like many of Woodson's books,​ Before the Ever After is a novel in verse. The authors has the extraordinary ability to tell a story through precisely chiseled vignettes that speak of larger issues while simultaneously pinpointing a moment in time. These little literary gems paint a vivid portrait of a boy whose dreams are permanently shattered. The life he knew is gone, but the love he has for his father remains.

A note from the author provides information on the work of Dr. Bennet Omalu to identify the connection between brain damage and football provides important context to the story.

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Copy provided by publisher.

Pub date: September 1, 2020  Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books  ISBN: 978-0399545436