A Fortunate Son: and Other Stories is a collection of stories written across decades of Daniel J. Donoghue’s life— chronicling his journey from youth to the present day. As he has grown, so too has his writing, shaped by the challenges and transformations of life itself.

 

These slice-of-life narratives capture both the deeply personal and the universally human: love and loss, desire and regret, the weight of family, the scars of military life, and the quiet battles with mental illness. With unflinching honesty and lyrical prose, Donoghue explores the raw edges of experience—where tenderness and turmoil coexist.

 

From the dim glow of roadside bars to the silent ache of suburban mornings, no subject is too intimate or taboo. Painted with empathy and precision, these stories invite readers to confront the fragile beauty and painful truths of being human, and to see the shifting colors of their own lives reflected in the work.