Tag Archives: fathers
* The Good Father by Noah Hawley
Are fathers all over the land worrying about their sons becoming murderers? I read Defending Jacob just a few days ago and The Good Father reprises the theme, this time with the wayward son killing a presidential candidate, no less. … Continue reading
Filed under New fiction
*** Defending Jacob by William Landay
Defending Jacob is a thriller about a teenager who is accused of killing a classmate and his father, who happens to be the district attorney who is handling the case — and who is promptly asked to relinquish it, although … Continue reading
Filed under Mystery
** Kayak Morning by Roger Rosenblatt
I had loved Making Toast, a perfect-pitch memoir of a grandfather caring for his orphaned grandchildren, and I was disappointed by Kayak Morning: Reflections on Love, Grief, and Small Boats, the premise of which is wonderful (his learning to kayak … Continue reading
Filed under Non fiction
** The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma
There’s something very sweet in The Reading Promise: the dedication of the author’s father to his daughter, despite his geekiness, clumsiness, or lack of money. The reading streak itself is a bit freaky. sure, it’s wonderful to think that he … Continue reading
Filed under True story
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
Last Night in Twisted River is the cleverly constructed saga of a family of men (father, son, grandson) surrounded my men-friends, men-coworkers, and men-enemies — and the many women they sleep with, many of them freaks of one kind or … Continue reading
Filed under New fiction
Manhood of Amateurs by Michael Chabon
Manhood for Amateurs is a collection of personal stories about the author’s children, parents, and personal experiences. Most are tone-perfect, especially the ones about his children. I liked the one where he bemoans the advent of complicated Lego kits that … Continue reading
Filed under True story
Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
I wish Joyce Carol Oates would choose happier topics for her books (here and here). I love her writing but why are all the books so very dark? Little Bird of Heavenis the story of a girl whose father is … Continue reading
Filed under New fiction
The Cradle by Patrick Somerville
I liked The Cradle but I would not completely believe in it. I liked the idea of the young father-to-be setting out on a quest for his wife’s long-lost cradle. I liked the way he becomes a father in an … Continue reading
Filed under New fiction
The Suicide Index by Joan Wickersham
Like An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination (which talks about losing a baby), The Suicide Indexdiscusses a taboo topic, death by suicide, in a very intimate way since the author’s father killed himself, unexpectedly. She names the … Continue reading
Filed under True story
The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg
The Prince of Frogdown is a cleverly-told story of the author’s father interleaved with the story of his relationship with his young stepson. His dad was a poor Alabaman blue collar worker who drank too much, abandoned his family, and died … Continue reading
Filed under True story
