The Most Important Thing: Stories about Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers

The sons in this collection search for paternal approval, revealing how deeply the desire for recognition and emotional validation shapes their identities. Whether the approval is granted, withheld, or redefined, the consequences are formative. For instance, in “Kitchen Table,” Billy’s absent father shadows his every action. Billy’s desire to keep the red bike in perfect condition and his insistence on getting a bigger table—just in case his father ever comes back—becomes symbolic of his hope for reconciliation. When he voices this while looking away from his mother, it shows how much he has internalized the absence and is afraid to fully articulate it. His mother’s desire for a cozy kitchen contrasts with Billy’s desire for an expandable table, which represents his hope for a fuller family. When Billy’s bike is stolen, the loss of the bike becomes a rite of passage: He accepts that closure may never come, but he must continue forward without it.

The story “Beat Up” focuses on Charlie, who has a more direct but still complicated relationship with his father. Charlie clearly admires his father, who is a trial lawyer and former boxer, listing his accomplishments with pride. At the same time, the qualifier “Mostly, but not always,” (72) following Charlie’s