Jesus, My Father, The CIA, And Me

Jesus, My Father, The CIA, And Me




The title of this book is certainly captivating and intriguing. I was hooked almost immediately thinking about Ian Cron and his growing up in a spy family. It almost had the feel of James Bond or Jason Bourne.

It did not live up to the hype I had assigned to it. As I read the first few chapters, I began to feel like this was going to be a letdown, and it really was. Actually, I knew out of the gate that this book was not going to be what I had envisioned when I read the author’s first chapter confession that this was “a memoir…of sorts.” I did and do appreciate his candor at the fact that everyone brings their own particular point of view and memories to the recollections of their past. Every eye witness remembers slightly different details to accidents, as do we all to church business meetings and family reunions.

But I was hoping for an action tale. A yarn about a spook dad who is converted to Christianity and saves the USA from the Communists and his soul from Hell. Well, that’s what I got from the title, anyway. What I got from the book was a moving story about a boy growing up trying to please an un-pleaseable father. An alcoholic that happened to work for the CIA. A Riches to rags story of what alcoholism can do to a family, and the regrets that accompany words not spoken.

I would caution anyone interested in this book to think more along the lines of “A Boy Called It” as opposed to expecting a Tom Clancy-ish Christian fiction.