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Sons of Suicide

a memoir of friendship

Sons of Suicide: a memoir of friendship weaves themes of life-shattering tragedy and life-affirming friendship in a moving dual memoir. Rick and David meet in high school and soon realize they share a heartbreaking secret: Each of their mothers took her life just a few years earlier. Feeling lost and abandoned, they bond instantly. Decades later, they learn that two other close friends had also lost parents to suicide. Over time, each of the four sons opens up about how his parent’s decision changed him and the course of his life.

They soon discover that they are more than friends. They are brothers.

 

Net proceeds from sales of Sons of Suicide will be donated to nonprofits focused on suicide prevention, survivors, grief counseling and mental health.

"Moving, beautifully written, powerful: An unforgettable book."
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D.Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
"Your TEDx talk was brilliant. Your story riveting. My goosebumps have goosebumps."
Tom HarrisonRetired CEO, Russ Reid Company
"Seeking answers but not pretending to have them, this clear-eyed account -- a potential comfort to others who have suffered similar losses -- can also help educate the public about suicide prevention."
Kirkus Reviews
"A beautiful story, engaging, open, honest.

An excellent job highlighting paths to the healing process."

Lance Foster, M.D.Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist
"Few men have this kind of easy grace around emotional subjects.

I am really grateful for the insights Sons of Suicide gave me."

Anne O'Leary-Kelly, Ph.D.Survivor of Suicide Loss
"Reinforces the inestimable value for each of us to have a circle of caring friends and speaks to the life-long impact a suicide death has on each of us."
Marilyn KoenigFounder & Executive Director, Friends for Survival
"They show the way for so many others that there is potential for a good life even after such horrendous pain and loss."
Bruce BurtchAuthor & Retired Business Executive
"This work takes a decidedly original approach to the discussion of suicide . . . the central focus on how male survivors of suicide process and grapple with their trauma is especially valuable & uncommon."
2019 BookLife Prize Nonfiction
"I found myself wiping a tear or two while reading – for all of the 'sons' experiences and for my own . . . I hope this book gives others who never openly discussed their own reactions to the horrors of suicide the courage to speak out and heal."
Marcia Vandermause, DVMSurvivor of Suicide Loss
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The Sons

David Pincus & Rick Knapp

The two of us meet by happenstance on a street corner in Bowie, Maryland.

Our memories of that dreary March morning more than 50 years ago are remarkably similar.  We were both 17-year-old high school seniors, though Rick is six months younger, a difference he relentlessly reminds David of, even to this day.

Looking back now at those momentous few weeks after we met, we were transformed from strangers to friends . . . from friends to brothers . . . almost overnight. Our friendship, which saved us as lost teenagers struggling to make sense of life and death, has endured and flourished these many decades.

Neither of us can imagine how much less fulfilling our lives would have been without it.

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Net proceeds from sales of Sons of Suicide will be donated to nonprofits focused on suicide prevention, survivors, grief counseling and mental health.