Fatherhood Across Three Generations

The histories of Sullivan, Frank, and Maren expose how eating, abandonment, and protection are passed down without producing identical lives.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Sullivan’s Childhood Appetite

Sullivan’s Childhood Appetite Hidden Consumption Sullivan remembers eating soft, forbidden objects and concealing his appetite from his father. His childhood suggests the condition began before the first death he can clearly recall. A Family Secret He later eats his grandfather’s corpse, then leaves home as a young teenager. His story links hunger to family inheritance and to the isolation of a child who cannot explain himself.

Frank’s Unknown Origins

Frank’s Unknown Origins A Missing History Francis Yearly remembers being a young child on a bus and being led to a restroom by a man who intends to harm him. His memory begins at the point where he eats his attacker. A New Family The Yearlys adopt Frank after he is found bloodied at a rest stop. Their care gives him safety, but the unresolved beginning of his life remains an invisible wound.

Sullivan Loses His Son

Sullivan Loses His Son A Father’s Pursuit Sullivan says Frank’s mother took the boy away and that another man eventually adopted him. The account reveals a predatory father who treats a child as something he has lost possession of. A Long Separation Sullivan cannot reach Frank while he lives with the Yearlys. Rather than accept the separation, he waits for the next generation, turning family history into a threat against Maren.

Frank’s Chosen Fatherhood

Frank’s Chosen Fatherhood A Summer Together Frank meets Janelle at a national park and describes falling in love with her. Their album preserves a season in which marriage and parenthood seemed to promise an ordinary shared life. Leaving Before Birth After fear grows between the couple, Frank leaves Janelle while she is pregnant. He believes distance will protect her and the child, but the choice removes him from Maren’s childhood.

A Damaged Inheritance

A Damaged Inheritance A New Fear Travis tells Frank that other eaters exist, making Frank realize Maren may share his condition. Frank reacts not with relief but with despair about what his daughter may face. A Father’s Injury Frank damages his writing hand and loses the ability to communicate as he once did. His later notebook becomes a belated effort to reach the daughter he feared he might endanger.

Sullivan’s childhood, before he leaves home

Frank’s early childhood, before adoption

Frank’s childhood, after his adoption

Summer 1980 and the months before Maren’s birth

After Travis tells Frank that Maren may share his condition