Death of a Fisherman

By: David Zailer

Narrated by: David Zailer

Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The little fisherman inside David Zailer died when he was eight years old. Fifty years later, a business trip to his hometown of Houston forces David to face long-buried memories of hidden and unspeakable evil.

With the encouragement of a unique cast of characters - a no-nonsense grocery store clerk, a compassionate gravedigger, a quirky flower shop owner, and long-lost friends from childhood - David confronts his pain-filled memories of sexual abuse and church toxicity, the narcissism of his father, the suicide of his mother, and his life-threatening addictions. To his surprise, the process leads him on a journey of healing and forgiveness that resurrects the little fisherman long lost.

A vividly colorful memoir, Death of a Fisherman is a torrent of truthful courage and defiant hope. Zailer's winsome yet authentic vulnerability illuminates a path towards forgiveness for everyone who has wrestled with the complicated family dynamics of religious, physical, sexual, and chemical abuse.

©2022 David Zailer (P)2023 David Zailer

Critic reviews

"How does one live with the ugly contradiction when faith is highjacked by religiosity to cover abuse? How does one grow to love the truth when truths are used to camouflage lies? David Zailer's heroic tale of coming back to himself is a wild, compelling, hope-filled ride". (Dan and Becky Allender, co-founders of The Allender Center for Trauma and Abuse)

Birth of an Inspiration

My family and I know the author, David Zailer. His company and he built our swimming pool, BBQ island, and much of the hardscape. They did this over a two-week period while we vacationed in Hawaii during the peak of David's struggles. Everything was done on time and on budget. David set such a high bar as far as experiences with contractors go. Recently I had the opportunity to reconnect with David. I learned that he was no longer a contractor and had become an author and motivational speaker. I didn't know why he'd changed professions. I decided to listen to "Death of a Fisherman" on Audible. David's attention to detail and narration put me squarely into the situations he experienced.To endure all of the abuse and heartache and emerge with new conviction and energy is truly inspiring! I highly recommend this book.

Loved this book to my core.

So many men lack authenticity with emotions and past trauma, but this is not the case with David. I completely loved his story as it encouraged me in my own healing journey. if you're facing hard truths or trying to reconcile your past pain, this book is such an amazing supplement to the process.

Profound and well told

This book tells the authors story, basically centering on his upbringing and journey to grapple with the pretend american dream so many of us grew up in during 50's, 60's and 70's.
It hit home for me as a kindred soul to family dysfunction

Honest and Heartbreaking

Beautifully written! David has a way with words and held nothing back in this memoir of his tumultuous life. I enjoyed the flow of the book, as well as his narration.

Inspiring Memoire of Trauma and Healing

The author shares his personal story of childhood trauma and his journey to peace and forgiveness. Some details are hard to hear, eliciting strong emotions. But, the level of detail is respectful, while not leaving the listener to fill in the gaps. I was taken along on the story and could relate to many points in my own life.