Joe Field

Finding Joe Adams Joe Field

In this captivating, humorous memoir, Joe Field rises from abject poverty with a single parent Hispanic mother to become a lawyer. But gnawing at him throughout his life is not knowing his father. Joe is never adopted but nevertheless his mother remains secretive about his father, revealing only that he was in the Air Force, or "was a firefighter." Joe's birth certificate is no help. It lists a mere blank line for "father". Despite his rough childhood of multiple evictions, being bullied, child protection breaking up his family, and Joe becoming part of a migrant worker caravan, he discovers the game of chess which turns his life around. Law school now lies on the horizon but a minefield of challenges like no other come thereafter, leading to Joe's mantra, "when all else fails, fail. ... But then build again."A life resembling Forrest Gump meets The Pursuit of Happyness, with an increasing spiritual element, Finding Joe Adams is a candid, true tale of a man innocently trying to make sense of life, and to make something of himself. He presents, without much judgment, a struggling, survivalist mother who often made mistakes but provided as she could for her broken family. But the book ends well, offering encouragement to us all. It is an audacious 2016 Father's Day prayer that God answers which leads to Joe's breakthrough in finding his dad. His eventual encounter with him and new siblings will be viewed by over a million people on national television."Finding Joe Adams" is a biography that reads like a gripping novel. It will leave you pondering, "who in my life saved me when I was headed for disaster?" It is a quirky blend of suspense, victory and defeat, and humor. If it were written as a fiction novel it would be captivating. The fact that it is a true story is remarkable. Once you pick up this book you are not putting it down. And somehow you will be better for it.