“Portrait of the Son: A Tale of Love”
by Josephine Nobisso, illustrated by Schluenderfritz.
Gingerbread House, Westhampton Beach, N.Y., 2021, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
Faithful fathers are a great blessing for families. Fathers can love, guide and protect their wives and children. Sadly, not all fathers have lived up to this great responsibility. This failure has caused great distress for many people.
But fathers diligently carrying out their responsibilities bring blessings down on their families. They serve as a steadying force in the family structure by protecting and nurturing their wives and children’s aspirations. Josephine Nobisso has written an elegant story of such a father. In this beautiful book, we see a father caring for his son and the son returning this deep love. The title of this book is “Portrait of the Son: A Tale of Love.”
An older man lives in a splendid mansion and collects magnificent works of art. His one goal is to bring all this beauty to his young son. Together, they examine and discuss these phenomenal paintings. The art is from many different ages of civilization. Through the father’s guidance, the son matures and grows in wisdom and grace. All the people in the area come to experience the kindness and charity of the father and son. They constantly help everyone.
Tragically, a terrible war breaks out and the son is called into military service. He faithfully sends letters to his father for three long years. The letters are filled with descriptions of the brutality of the war and his attempts to help his soldiers not despair. One day, no letter comes. Instead, a telegram arrives at the mansion. The old man’s son was killed in action.
Plunged into grief, the father lays on the floor in sorrow. After three days, his housekeeper knocks on the door. He has a visitor.
A wounded soldier, in a wheelchair, has arrived carrying a parcel. The soldier tells the older man the story of the battle and gives him the package. What happens next?
What does the father learn about his son’s suffering and courage? How many people are saved by the son? What happens to the beautiful mansion and all the magnificent paints? Why is it possible to say that if you accept the son, you have accepted the father?
This title is not owned by the Lincoln Public Libraries, so you will have to order it through a local bookstore such as Gloria Deo. Fortunately, the public library owns a lovely book written by Josephine Nobisso entitled “The Weight of A Mass.” While we tend to think of fathers as those giving physical life to their children, there is the equally important spiritual element to fatherhood. This is the enduring fatherhood that nurtures children.
“Portrait of the Son” is an exquisite story and I hope you get a chance to read the book. On the occasion of Father’s Day, I wish all the spiritual and physical fathers a blessed day!
