On our bookshelf

June 8, 2010 | Print

What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To and Letting Go of Their Daughters

Highlights: What I Would Tell Her is a collection of honest and touching essays edited by Andrea N. Richesin (Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond) exploring relationships between dads and daughters from birth through teenager and adulthood. The writers reveal their hopes and fears for their daughters, the desire to always be there for them, and their acceptance that growing up involves sadness and joy. The range of father perspectives–older, young, gay, single, married, step–weave into a textured portrayal of the father-daughter bond. A few of our favorites: On Inexplicable Weeping by Dean Bakopoulos and Late-Onset Parenthood by Rand Richards Cooper.

Lowlights: None. The stories are deep and moving for mothers too. We smiled and cried.

Why We Like It: What I Would Tell Her offers a moment to reflect upon and value our lives as parents. These father-writers share their specific experiences, which make the essays so personal, and capture the intimate emotions of parenting. A great Father’s Day gift, even for dads who rarely pick up parenting books.

Age: All parents, and specifically fathers, with children of any age.

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