Lionel Dahmer

The father of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer describes his shock at hearing the news of his son's crimes, his entry into a world of complete denial, and how, during Jeffrey's trial, he placed himself in his son's shoes. 150,000 first printing.

A Father's Story

Emily

It's impossible to review a real-life occurrence. The story of Jeffrey Dahmer will always be one that both haunts and interests me. I read this account of his story, from the perspective of his father, because I will be writing a research paper about Jeffrey Dahmer this semester in my English course. I most likely would not have read this if it weren't for the research I require for this paper, but I am honestly glad that I did. While Lionel seemed slightly untrustworthy or hypocritical at times, he provided a perspective on Jeffrey that I had never really heard before. Overall, this book was surprisingly well written and brutally honest in the places where it had to be.

Raising a Serial Killer A Father's Search for Answers In July of 1991 the country was shocked by the unfathomable crimes of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. But no one was more shocked than his parents. In A Father's Story, the reader is witness to the incremental unraveling of a parent's image of their child, and the "thousand different reactions" that follow. In his attempt to understand the nature of his son's psychosis, Lionel Dahmer methodically scrutinizes every possible contributing factor to his son's madness. His desperation is palpable as he searches for clues in the emotional, psychological, and genetic landscape of his son's life. Riveting and soul-wrenching, this unprecedented memoir is the confession of a father who must "confront the saddest truth a human can know-that his child has somehow crossed the line that separates the human from the monstrous."

A Father's Story

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