Bill Byrne

How Long Does it Take to Catch a Fish? Bill Byrne

"How Long Does it Take to Catch a Fish?" is a collection of stories about fathers and sons and sons and fathers. It explores how dads and their male offspring can be understood as two sides of the same coin - unique yet intertwined, shaping one another across generations. It is a personal journey, documenting boyish indulgences and grown-up anxieties. How long does it take to catch a fish? How do we learn to appreciate and guide the people that are important in our lives? I do not presume to offer answers - only thoughtful observations. These remembrances of adventures with my adolescent son, sometimes ordinary, sometimes poignant, serve as guideposts in my own coming to terms with the loss of my father. It was a story I needed to write to understand, as much as to share. The stories will appeal across a broad spectrum of readers, each with their own compelling interest in the evolving relationship between a father and his son. Dad's can identify in the humor and uncertainty voiced in an armchair quarterback's critique of how I raised my son. Mom's will appreciate the reflections at the end of each tale for their insight into the mysterious domain of the male psyche. Sons - well my son hates it when I tell him how he feels so you will have to ask one you know for their opinion!