Young adult fiction asks the hard questions; the ones we’re afraid to face in real life. Some families hide their darkest secrets behind closed doors. Some children learn that love and violence can coexist. And some stories refuse to stay silent.
In Killing the Father of Our Country, Allison Whittenberg breaks that silence with a fierce, unflinching story about abuse, brotherhood, and the impossible choices that come with both.
So we sat down with Allison to talk about writing through darkness, the power of youth, and why some stories demand to be told; even when they make us uncomfortable.
Compassiviste: The relationship between Jonah and Solly is central to this story. Was their connection inspired by any relationships in your own life?
Allison: Yes and no. Yes, I had friends and a sibling that I was tight with during my teenage years but, no, not with the depth that I’ve depicted in the novel, nor the consistency these two brothers have.
Compassiviste: What can this story teach us about compassion?
Allison: Jonah and Solly have to leave their comfort zone and mature in order to help each other through the domestic violence they find themselves in. They have to first face the situation, name it before they can devise a plan to free themselves. They have to own their shame and feel worthy of protection and compassion.
Compassiviste: Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
Allison: I enjoyed writing the scenes with Abra. She’s so good for Solly and offers some lightness, some innocence in a harsh tale. Abra, like Jonah, is an ethnic minority and she meets the smallness that she encounters with positivity and openness. Under different circumstances, the young love she has for Solly would have had a chance.
Compassiviste: A number of your books are written for a young adult audience. What is it about the YA genre that draws you to it?
Allison: It’s a great time in our lives. Everything is forming and nothing is set. Change rules the day and anything is possible. Where there is youth there is always hope. I’ve written six other novels for this age group and I really enjoy this kinetic experience.
Compassiviste: What makes this book a “must-read”?
Allison: My book is not broad. It is precise. Killing the Father of Our Country becomes a lens, not just an experience. It is an intimate and uncomfortable young adult novel speaking the quiet truth regarding child abuse. Hopefully, it changes how the reader notices the world afterward.
About the Author:
Allison Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native and the author of numerous books for young adults and adults, including Maine Under Water (2024), Tutored (2010), Hollywood and Maine (2009), Carnival of Reality (2022) and Sane Asylum (2023). Her poetry has been published widely in Redivider, New Orleans Review, Columbia Review, Feminist Studies, and in her collection, They Were Horrible Cooks (2024). She is an Army veteran.
About Killing the Father of Our Country:
Two brothers. One impossible choice. How far would you go to protect the person you love most?
Sixteen-year-old Jonah Thelen’s life in small-town Wisconsin should be normal—school, part-time job, and the confusing almost-something with the girl next door, Lori. But nothing is simple when your stepdad is a monster and your little brother looks at you like you’re the only safe place in the world.
Jonah’s spent years protecting Solly from Nick’s abuse. But after one brutal night too many, Jonah makes an impossible decision: he’s going to kill his stepfather.
But when Solly starts to suspect what Jonah’s planning, their bond—once unbreakable—is tested in ways neither of them saw coming.
A fierce and haunting portrait of brotherhood, violence, and the impossible choices we make for the people we love, Killing the Father of Our Country is a gripping, emotional story about family, survival, and what it really means to do the right thing—even when everything feels wrong.
