The Lion’s Den is an expression of irony and intentions, and an austere reflection of familial forgiveness that tests the boundaries of protection and love.
A fragrant display of a complicated father-son relationship is epitomized in this 28 page short story. Do two wrongs make a right?
Michael returns home to live with his parents after losing his job and becoming evicted, though to those around it seems an act of familial love since his dad is in his last stages of cancer. Michael is asked to speak at his former school, and after he accepts he reflects on his school days and the stages of his development into an adult. He recalls his fathers arrest during this time and the strain it had on their family for many years after. As a desperate and angry twenty-two year old, Michael had written and published a memoir about his father that exposed his fathers poor choices. Now, in the last stage of his life, Michael’s dad has one last unexpected arrangement waiting for Michael.
Has time and experience healed their relationship? Will Michael always see his dad as a felon? Is Michael any different than his father, Michael having exposed his dad through a memoir while his dad illegally exposed private NSA documents? How do we measure immorality and crime?
The Lion’s Den is part of the Amazon Original Series, Inheritance. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.
Visit the Lyceum Agency page to view more about author Anthony Marra.
