The Father You Get: And the Ones You Make, Believe In, and Become

In a world of imperfect-at-best and bad-at-worst dads, what is the ideal of fatherhood we aspire to? Why does this ideal exist? What is it about fathers and father figures that looms so large in the lives of so many? So wonders Patton Dodd in this intimate reflection and memoir in which he wrestles with a dad-sized hole, the gap between the father he yearned to have and the father he got―an absent-while-present alcoholic whose unreliability caused chaos for everyone around him. This struggle with the father he was given led to a variety of substituted: fathers he created, from an imaginary "Papa Friend" to male mentors he turned into father figures. Then there's the father he believed in, a Heavenly Father, made present by the steadfast and stubborn faith of his earthly mother. And finally, there is the father Dodd became when he had his own children, an experience that led him to track down the source and mystery of the father he got. Throughout, Dodd's story resonates for anyone who struggles with the fathers they got, the fathers they wish they had--and anyone struggling to become the parent they hope to be. A lyrical, emotional meditation on the failures and glories of dadhood, The Father You Get is an extended wrestling match with the mysteries of a distant parental figure and an attempt to bridge the gap between the fathers we get and the fathers our hearts yearn for.
ASIN: 1506486983
VSKU: DBV.1506486983.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Dodd, Patton
Binding: Hardcover
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!