Full Circles
Kenneth D. Thompson Sr.'s memoir of growing up fatherless in East Austin — and choosing, deliberately, to become the father his own son never had to wonder about. Raw, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately a triumph.
Kenneth D. Thompson Sr. grew up with an ache where a father should have been — missing from the stands during state finals, absent from the quiet moments at home. Forced to find his way without a guide, he leaned into the steady hands of mentors, coaches, and community members who taught him resilience, humility, and the life-changing power of simply showing up.
As the second-oldest of his mother's seven children, he learned early that presence is a choice — one made daily, deliberately. Married to his high school sweetheart at nineteen, he became a father himself, and resolved to complete the circle his own father had left open.
This memoir is a powerful testament to what happens when love replaces loss, when community fills the gaps left behind, and when a man chooses to become the father he once longed for.
“Kenneth Thompson cleverly employs the theme of sports to tell a vivid story of growth, resilience, and passion for life… a crash course on the immediate impacts of de-segregation, a key moment of modern US history that's especially compelling when told by a Black man who lived it.”
“The kind of book that grabs you by the collar and won't let go. From the housing projects to the White House, from fatherless boy to the father his son never had to wonder about, this memoir is raw, funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately a triumph. If you've ever had to build yourself without a blueprint, this book is for you.”
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