Book Review: Family by Paul Dunion EdD

Reviewed by Jadidsa Perez

A compassionate, sagacious look into family dynamics, child roles, and human fallibility

When asked to describe one’s family, what descriptors come to mind? Chaotic? A masquerade? Stifling? While it can be simple to come up with certain terms, it’s hard to describe the why behind them. It can be even harder to draw a linear line from childhood behaviors into adult flaws. Why is it hard to take anything seriously? Why is it hard to feel accomplished? 

In Family, Paul Dunion provides the reader with the tools to answer these questions and to recognize themselves in the text. As he describes, “My best wisdom is that to be born into a family guarantees only two things; you will be wounded and gifted.” To heal the wound, he provides ways to cope; to celebrate the gifts, he presents ways to continue good behavior. This text is packed full of sound advice for parents and acts as a tender band-aid to heal our inner child. 

Each chapter begins with an introduction to a specific topic, such as the Scapegoat, followed by in-depth paragraphs detailing the issues with the topic, like pointing out that Scapegoats tend to shoulder a lot of shame. In conjunction, Dunion includes a conversation with a patient that is dealing with a similar situation and how to begin addressing it. For nonfiction readers that enjoy routine and following a clear guideline, Family is a fantastic portrayal of that. This book is easy to follow, and if a chapter does not feel pertinent, it’s fine to skip. This allows readers to really spend time with what they need specifically and to better understand what they are missing.

Dunion includes quite a lot of enlightening conversations that run parallel to each informational chapter. They break up dense paragraphs and add an essential personal touch. As a reader, I found myself feeling less alone whenever patients would bring up similar problems to my own. Dunion’s responses are also really helpful, as he acknowledges the patient then guides them into a shining moment of clarity. These conversations unpack a number of issues that I related to and inspired me to go back and reread so that I could take in all of the helpful new information.

Although Dunion’s book has so many essential and powerful elements, certain sentences paint a very broad stroke. There is a larger emphasis on the relationship of fathers and daughters than any other in a family unit, and most examples portray a stereotypical nuclear family with a mother, father, and children. I found myself longing for a deeper representation of atypical families as well.

Overall, this book has so much to offer readers interested in family therapy. It will set off a myriad of self-healing journeys and act as a cushion to those feeling uncomfortable with their family issues.

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