Thank you NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for the ARC of Isaac's Song by Daniel Black. I had previously read "Don't Cry for Me" and while I liked it, it was not my favorite book. I was really glad to be able to read Isaac's Song because while the topic was the same, the way it was written was a lot easier to read. The fact that the story is told through the lens of the main character speaking with his therapist and getting help to navigate his feelings abot his father's death. I feel like the whole tone of this book was more forgiving and helped him to get the closure that he wouldn't have been able to get without therapy. At the very end the part about the enslaved folks seemed unnecessary, as it didn't add much to the overall main story. Overall I wish I had read this book first and then Don't Cry for Me, because I think it would've made it easier to take in. I really liked this book.

This is a story every should read. It's though provoking and hits hard. seeing the world through others eyes is so important in our growth and understanding of the world.

**Book Review: *Isaac’s Song* by Daniel Black**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Isaac’s Song* by Daniel Black is a powerful, thought-provoking novel that will resonate with readers long after the last page is turned. With its lyrical prose, deep emotional complexity, and exploration of themes such as family, love, identity, and the painful truths that shape us, this book is a masterclass in storytelling.

The novel centers around Isaac, a man grappling with his past and the strained relationship with his father. Through poignant and heartfelt letters, Black weaves a narrative that is both heartbreaking and redemptive. The father-son dynamic at the heart of this story is portrayed with raw honesty and profound emotional depth, making every moment feel real and uncomfortably intimate.

Daniel Black’s writing is nothing short of extraordinary. He captures the nuances of human emotions and relationships with a level of sensitivity and care that allows readers to connect deeply with the characters. The way Black explores Isaac’s struggles with self-identity, forgiveness, and acceptance is both moving and cathartic, leaving you reflecting on your own personal relationships and life choices.

The pacing is deliberate, allowing the narrative to unfold in such a way that every word feels necessary and impactful. The flashbacks, letters, and moments of reflection are expertly balanced, creating a rhythm that keeps the reader emotionally engaged without feeling rushed. The ending is both heartbreaking and beautifully redemptive, leaving an indelible impression on your heart.

*Isaac’s Song* is a hauntingly beautiful novel that delves into the complexities of the human spirit. Daniel Black has crafted a work that is not only a compelling exploration of family and love but also a profound meditation on the importance of healing and reconciliation. This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who appreciates literature that challenges, moves, and stays with you. Highly recommended.

A beautiful story. I enjoyed every second of it! It made me feel all the emotions. I’m glad I got to experience this story.

A beautiful and heartbreaking novel about the complicated relationships that often exist between a gay son and his father. As a foil to Daniel Black’s previous novel Don’t Cry for Me, we follow Isaac, a gay man, as he confronts his complicated relationship with his now deceased father. In therapy, Isaac relives memories from childhood through adulthood, reflecting on how he never felt free to be himself as a gay person. He grapples with his father’s expectations and homophobia, trying to understand his father and his life experiences, but struggling to come to terms with his own culpability in their relationship and the idea that his father was his own person and had his own history and story. There’s commentary on racism, internalized homophobia, religious trauma, generational trauma, parental expectations, and gay culture. The conversations were nuanced but plainly written and understood. I found this so moving and beautiful. 10/10

I picked up his beautifully written chronicle that takes hold from the very start and NEVER lets go! From the first pages where his therapist put me in my place, to the thoughtful way Isaac heard his song and his parents’ too. It was a reckoning for realizing one’s agency, ancestry, power and the ability to forgive. She spat and I sat down: “Everyone has agency, whether they use it or not”.
When she refused to let Isaac blame his father for the baggage he carries: “Everyone has baggage…Nothing had ever happened to you that is greater than your power to heal it…Blaming others is only an excuse…How smart is it to get mad at a mountain?…Either climb it or go around it but don’t spend a lifetime waiting for it to move.” Blink, Blink. I listened to the audio and also read the words and I just had to put it down and examine some things. When I did pick it back up and finished the story, I felt entertained but also like I had been in therapy too. I felt sorrow for every little black LGBTQ boy and girl who have ever been shackled by others’ ability to truly see and love them. Isaac’s level of understanding by the end was an unraveling of the unknown to find forgiveness, truth and self. Masterful.

Chef’s Kiss! I loved this incredible story! I expected nothing less of Dr. Black! He spoke to me through Isaac’s journey and I’m grateful. In December when I’m thinking of my fave reads, this one will be there, I’m positive! You must read! And if Dr. Black comes to your city, GO!

In this deeply wonderful and powerful story we are following Isaac. Isaac is a gay black man with a tainted childhood at the hands of his abusive father, When his father passes, Isaac is prompted to start therapy to deal with childhood issues that stem in the relationship with his father. During this time at the suggestion of his therapist, Isaac begins to write his story down.
This book's writing is lyrical and poetic. It is a character study ,it is activism, it is healing. The reader will find coming of age, family dynamics, racial and human identity and powerful healing in writing it all down.
I cannot express enough how much I loved this book. This is the first book by the author that I have read and I am on a mission to read all of the back list of this author. This is a book I will be thinking about for a long time.

Daniel Black has such an incredible talent for depicting nuances of the Black LGBTQIA experience. Isaac's Song follows Isaac as he recounts privotal moments in his life following the death of his father. Though they had a complicated relationship, his reflection on his life and relationship with his father had a monumental impact on him as a man. This book masterly explores themes of familial support and acceptance, isolation, "other"-ism, and the long and difficult process of grief. I would highly recommend this book and I look forward to what Black does next.

Issac’s Song is a novel about a young man in therapy, who is struggling to make sense of his relationship with his parents (mainly his father) after his death. He finds through writing and recounting of the past, that often his own feelings somewhat skewed his interpretation of the past.

This book was poetically written without being pretentious. I found it was easy to fall right back into Issac’s world even if it had been a few weeks since I last picked up the book (not all books are like that for me!)

As Issac recounts his father’s struggle to acknowledge and accept Issac’s sexuality, you really feel what Issac feels. The author captures the difficulty of being a child and loving your parents, but also not always understanding them and the confusion and hurt when you get reprimanding for existing in a way that you didn’t realize was “wrong”.

There is a part near the end of the book where you read more of Issac’s writing- at first it threw me off and felt a little disjointed, but as I kept reading through the end, I thought it was such a beautifully unique way to explore the forgiveness process.

I think this book is perfect for fans of literary fiction- who love reading quality writing with lush and complicated characters. Also a great choice if you have a somewhat complicated relationship with your parents- I felt like I was working through it along with Issac.

"Isaac's Song" is a poignant and deeply moving follow-up to Dr. Daniel Black's acclaimed novel "Don't Cry For Me." In this latest work, Black masterfully explores the intricate and often tumultuous relationship between a father and his son. The narrative centers on Isaac, who is grappling with the recent death of his father, Jacob Swinton. Despite their strained relationship, Isaac finds himself profoundly affected by his father's passing, prompting him to seek therapy.

Through his sessions with his therapist, Isaac embarks on a journey of self-discovery and reflection. He revisits his earliest memories and begins to see his father in a new light. The novel delves into themes of grief, identity, and the complexities of familial love. Isaac's process of understanding his father's flaws, traumas, and deep love for him is both heart-wrenching and enlightening.

Black's storytelling is rich with stories within stories, as Isaac recounts his life experiences and the lessons he learns along the way. The novel addresses significant issues such as Black masculinity, fatherhood, sexuality, and the impact of generational trauma. Isaac's journey is not just about reconciling with his father's memory but also about finding his true self and accepting his identity.

"Isaac's Song" is a beautifully written narrative. The characters are well-developed, and the emotional depth of the story is palpable. Black's prose is both lyrical and accessible, making the novel a compelling read from start to finish. The book's exploration of love, regret, and forgiveness is universal, resonating with readers on a profound level.

"Isaac's Song" is a powerful and evocative novel that continues the conversation started in "Don't Cry For Me." It is a testament to Dr. Daniel Black's skill as a storyteller and his ability to capture the complexities of human relationships. This book is a must-read, earning a well-deserved five-star rating.

Isaac’s Song is my first 5 star read of 2025! This is a beautifully written story about the struggles specific to being a gay black man in America.

The novel reads like an autobiography as Isaac recounts his life as a child in the 1970s and 80s, then into his young adulthood in the 90s. In between the stories of his life, Isaac has conversations with his therapist which examine grief, forgiveness, and the construction of memories. It’s through journaling his life that Isaac slowly begins to heal and finally accept himself.

Isaac’s Song is Daniel Black’s companion to Don’t Cry for Me. This book, however, truly stands on its own. I never felt like I had needed to read the earlier novel to understand this one. But now I want to read it, simply because I’m intrigued to know more about Isaac’s father’s story.

This was such an excellent book. I listened to the audiobook as well as read the arc. I sadly put this off because I knew this would be a heavy read. This book feels like it healed something in me, particularly the way I’ve viewed and thought of my own family. Isaac gave his all in this book, Daniel Black did an amazing job of tying in history lessons with a very relatable story.

The relationship between Jacob and Isaac strengthened even after Jacob was gone. I feel like this was a great way to show that you can always seek forgiveness and gain understanding that it’s never too late.

This is a review of the audiobook and the book

This isn’t necessarily the kind of book I always gravitate toward, and yet I found myself finding myself reading it whenever I found the chance. It’s very immersive, intriguing, and I would argue very well-written. We follow the main character in the time after his father dies, writing down the story of his life as part of his work with a therapist. It’s something of a series of interconnected personal essays that immerse the reader into Isaac’s story growing up as a young queer Black man in the late 20th century, into his present of finally trying to be an author, and the book that he writes. It’s a bit of a family saga, a bit coming-of-age, and really just what feels like a deeply personal story. I found myself disagreeing with Isaac at multiple points, but it felt like further proof of my immersion.

This was a really interesting book and has some (imo) really interesting exploration about identity and the creation of identity as a Black queer man (although I don’t have personal experience here), and I would recommend checking it out!

No surprise here another solid read from Dr. Daniel Black. I really enjoy the ease with which he weaves such insightful stories.

This story is about Isaac and is the follow up to Don’t Cry For Me which was an amazing read. This one takes place after Isaac’s father has passed away and takes us on a journey of him as a young boy and growing into the man he is now.

You get a lot of perspective in this book for Isaac, his mother & father…much more than I expected and it added so much more depth to the story and provided deeper understanding I regards to the first book.

I was very invested in the story Isaac was writing and at first I wasn’t sure how it was related to the overall story (despite it keeping my attention all on its own) but towards the end it comes full circle.

Dr. Black is just such a great story teller. I

Daniel Black could write a whole grocery list and I WILL read it. His books are what I’m here for it. Whole hearted and full of emotion that I am converted. I hope he keeps writing forever.

After receiving news of the death of his somewhat estranged father, a young queer black man in 1980’s Chicago seeks out a therapist and utilizes his skill and love for writing to work through the complicated relationships with both of his parents as well as his upbringing, coming of age, and discovery of identity in Kansas City, Missouri. As he embraces the healing nature of his creative expression, he begins to better understand both of his parents and himself in a new way. This was truly such a beautiful and poignant novel. This story is a work of fiction but reads just like a memoir and this author is an absolutely incredible writer and storyteller. I was hooked from the beginning and quickly finished this book in just a couple of days! I loved Isaac so much and truly felt for him and what it would be like in his shoes. The therapist was wonderful and I found myself initially agreeing with Isaac on many points, only to then come to realizations I hadn’t yet identified alongside him, thanks to the guidance of the therapist. I did not realize that this book has a return of the characters from Daniel Black’s other book ‘Don’t Cry For Me’. I have not read that one but will definitely be reading it now that I know what a talented author he is! I rated this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone and everyone! Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Black, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the gifted ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

this book was...so emotional and good. well written. i have no true words, tbh.
just wow. Black does such a phenomenal job of telling this story and felt like a healing

I read Don’t Cry for Me when it came out and was patiently awaiting the release of Isaac’s Song because I knew it would be just as good. And this did not disappoint. I cried and related so much to Isaac. As a Black female born and raised in the United States, I understand so much of what Isaac is trying to work out. Like Isaac, I’ve been trying to reconcile why my parents were/are the way they were/are. Why they did/said the things the did.

I do think this book is for anyone who enjoys complicated familial relationships.

This book was amazing! The realizations and depth of knowledge he gains about himself is so powerful! This was written from the son’s point of view while reflecting on his relationship with his father and his sexuality through letters and discussions with his therapist.

It’s the second book in a pair and I cannot put into words how good these books are. I am not one for character driven novels but you need to read them!

Thank you @htpbooks @htp_hive for the complimentary DRC.

I didn’t know that this was a follow up to Black’s, Don’t Cry For Me, I must not have read the synopsis properly. However, I’ve been told that it doesn’t matter if you read them out of order.

This novel takes a look at the complicated relationship between father and son, exploring childhood wounds and the process of healing after a parent’s death. After Isaac’s father passes away, he seeks therapy, where he is encouraged to begin journaling to better understand his conflicted feelings. Through these entries, Isaac realizes that not all of his memories are correct, and it helps him to further understand his father. As Isaac continues to reflect on his past, we get a window into his struggles growing up—navigating issues of sexuality, confronting racis, and living through the AIDS epidemic.

While I truly enjoyed this book, part of the ending left me feeling somewhat disconnected. I can’t dive into spoilers, but I will say that one section felt forced, and the therapist's interactions with Isaac in these scenes lacked the depth that had previously been there.

Despite this, the book was an emotional read that explores identity, trauma, and the long road toward healing. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone interested in stories about family dynamics, and personal growth. I will be bumping Don’t Cry For Me up my tbr list!