My Own Santini: A Father and Son Story

In 1951, John Case made his arrival as the fifth of six children born to an Irish Catholic mother and Marine Corps father. What he had no way of knowing was that his father had not wanted a fifth or sixth child and openly resented their presence. John would spend most of his childhood living in fear of a repeat of a terrifying display of anger that occurred when he was seven years old. That fear would continue until he reached a personal epiphany and escaped the constant state of implied threat that had defined his childhood in so many ways. His story also traces the ups and downs of his parent’s relationship, and how the phases of that relationship impacted their parenting abilities, interest and competency. Set against the backdrop of 1950s and 60s middle class America, from California to Hawaii to Michigan, My Own Santini also reflects the changes in American culture from the relative calm of the post war years to the volatility of the late sixties. At times both heartbreaking and heartwarming, My Own Santini is the story of a personal journey that proves that one’s past does not dictate one’s future and, as importantly, even life lessons learned through pain and fear can be used to craft a positive result.