Although This Stranger, My Father focuses on events, character traits, and conditions that are not desirable, these are treated with sensitivity. When her father becomes the hunted felon, his identity becomes so alien to Patty that he becomes a real stranger. His subsequent petty crimes can be disassociated with his role as father. Patty's pain as she is forced to be a part of the new life foisted upon her is real and convincing. Her fear at handling a gun will inspire empathy for her. What she does with the gun is logical because of her personality and the context in which she is placed. While the reader is led to expect violence at any given time, little violence actually occurs.

Dialogue is in standard English peppered only with expressions popular among teen-agers, but no profanity.

The novel is a story of how profoundly lives can...