John Steven Waldron

A Father's Angels John Steven Waldron

John Waldron had not intended to hire an undocumented worker, or several for that matter, but he needed help with caring for his two young sons. In A Father's Angels, his affecting and redeeming tribute to four Hispanic women and their families, Waldron goes beyond simple stories of a single gay father. For more than a decade, these illegal angels helped redirect the lives of a new father and his children, and along the way provided invaluable life lessons on the true meaning of family. Paulina was first. She was large by every stretch of the imagination. Dressed in an oversized t-shirt and full cotton skirt, her size was immediately appealing to a peanut-sized three year old boy lost in her embrace. Carmen followed, Mormon bible in hand, her mission to bring order to the home. Ana, ever the playmate, came and went too quickly. And finally, there was Rosa who not only brought her love and compassion, bur her family as well. Waldron reveals the challenges and anguish of navigating through a state adoption system and the bias that still exists against single and gay parents. His journey to adopt a second child brings him to Guatemala in an effort to complete his family. Throughout, a growing tide of hostility and retribution grows in Arizona, John's home state, toward Hispanic immigrants both legal and illegal, creating a perilous situation for all. Raw, gripping and utterly redemptive, A Father's Angels humanizes the immigration discussion, and pays homage to unforgettably heroic women.