For the Love of a Son
A Memoir of Addiction, Loss, and Hope
by Scott Oake
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Pub Date Jan 21 2025 | Archive Date Jan 21 2025
Simon & Schuster Canada | Simon & Schuster
Description
A father’s love. A devastating drug crisis. A stirring call to action.
When veteran broadcaster Scott Oake first held his infant son, Bruce, in his arms, he never imagined that Bruce would become a statistic in the losing battle to opioid abuse.
In those early days, Scott, a new father, watched Bruce with awe, marveling at the potential of his funny, charismatic boy. As Bruce got older, though, he struggled to fit in at school and began showing signs of having ADHD, including a streak of impulsiveness that often got him into trouble. Scott and his wife, Anne, did their best to support him, and for a time, he found community and belonging in boxing and local rap battles. But when Bruce was pulled into a world of drugs and gangs, Scott and Anne experienced a crash course in the reality of loving someone battling substance use disorder.
Then one quiet day in 2011, Scott got the phone call that every parent dreads: Bruce had accidentally overdosed. At just twenty-five, Scott’s vibrant, creative, first-born son was gone forever.
It was a loss that could have broken a man, a marriage, a family—but Scott, Anne, and their younger son, Darcy, instead turned the worst day of their lives into a way to help the thousands of Canadians struggling with addiction. After nearly a decade of fundraising and battling red tape and political machinations they launched the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, a free, revolutionary treatment centre staffed by addicts and alcoholics in recovery.
For the Love of a Son is the story of a father’s unconditional love for his son. Above all, it’s the story of a young man who never got to grow up and a family who gives others the chance to find their way home.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781668045480 |
| PRICE | CA$13.99 (CAD) |
| PAGES | 256 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Steve B, Reviewer
Many Canadian sports fans know who Scott Oake is. He was a familiar face and voice on Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet, and many other events including the Olympics. In For the Love of a Son, Scott uses his formidable story telling skills to tell the story of his son, Bruce, who passed away from a drug overdose, at the age of 25.
As a father of three, I empathized with the struggles of Scott and his wife Anne to help their son with his issues. Bruce was a handful when he was growing up, being diagnosed with ADHD and a form of Tourette’s, and he began using drugs in his late teens. Things spiraled from there, and despite their best efforts, he overdosed and died on March 28, 2011.
I believe Scott told Bruce’s story with honesty. Parents make decisions for their kids with the information they have at the time, and sometimes you find out later that you could have made a better choice. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say, but Scott said that they always made their decisions with love for their son, and you can’t do better than that.
I can’t say I enjoyed the book, given the subject matter, but I am glad that I read it. It’s an important story and For the Love of a Son is well written.
Breanna S, Reviewer
Gosh it’s been a while since I’ve written a review on here! Honestly my life has just been so darn busy!
I was graciously sent an advanced copy of Scott Oake’s upcoming memoir, For the Love of a Son, a beautifully tragic recounting of the short and complicated life of his son Bruce. Bruce, just 25 at the time of his death, died alone in a bathroom after overdosing. With brutal honesty, Oake chronicles the heartbreaking and often frustrating experience of parenting a child struggling with addiction. After Bruce’s death, Scott and his wife Anne worked tirelessly to open the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, a cost-free facility for men recovering from addiction. Tragically, Anne would pass away just ten years after their son, but in her honour, Scott continues their advocacy. The Anne Oake Family Recovery Centre is set to open soon, furthering their mission to support those battling addiction.
While reading, I couldn’t help but think of my own father, who passed away in November 2022 from a methamphetamine overdose. There were so many parallels between Bruce and my father, and I couldn’t help but wonder if a place like @bruceoakerecovery could have helped save his life, too. Addiction truly doesn’t discriminate.
In honor of my father, Bruce, and all those who have lost their battle with addiction, I’ll be making a donation to both the Bruce and Anne Oake Recovery Centres.
Thank you to @simonschusterca for providing the ARC!
This beautifully tragic memoir will be available on January 21, 2025. Highly recommend.
