Martha Whitmore Hickman

"Insight and sensitivity characterize this story that explores what happens to a child whose parent is in prison." --- BOOKSTORE JOURNAL

A friend who worked in the prison system said to me one day at a Sunday school picnic, "We don't have anything to help children understand what it means to have a parent in prison. Do you think that you...?"

I thought about it, and began to search libraries and academic journals. There were a few articles by specialists on the effect of being imprisoned. But nothing you couldn't guess, and certainly no stories for children.

Obviously something was needed. I began to imagine a story, but before I could acquire enough understanding of the subject to feel confident and knowledgeable about this little boy and his family, I had to talk with some people. I interviewed a prison psychiatrist, attended a parole board meeting, talked with the president of the prisoners' spouses association, visited the prison and talked with one of the prisoners--a man who had been visited regularly by a friend of mine.

For the next few months it became my main project, to prepare for and write a book for young children--to tell a story parts of which they already knew--to make them feel less alone, less shadowed by the inescapable stigma: I have a parent in prison. And also to extend the understanding of other readers for what it feels like to be a child in this circumstance. By the time I had finished the research and got to writing the story of Andy and his family and his friend Joel, the story practically wrote itself.

The book was well received, widely used by people who worked with prisoners. It was reprinted in MS. magazine as one of their series, "Stories for Free Children." It was used in a lot of classrooms--not only for the benefit of children who might have an incarcerated parent, but to give greater understanding and empathy for any child who felt isolated or estranged from the group. After the book had run its course with its initial publisher under the title, "When Can Daddy Come Home?" it was picked up by a second publisher, who had it re-illustrated and titled it "When Andy's Father Went to to Prison." As the editor said to me, "It's bibliotherapy and we might as well tell them right up front what it's about."

The book has been around now for more than twenty years. I am still proud of it. It is dedicated to the woman who asked me at that picnic so long ago now, "We don't have anything...Do you think that you...?