Fathers edited by Andre Gerard

 In this anthology about how children perceive their fathers, Andre Gerard has collected wonderful pieces by known authors and poets about their fathers.  Some idolized their father; some despised him.  But each entry is heartfelt and gives us an insight not only into fatherhood but into what shaped various authors in their childhoods.

The authors and poets comprise a wide array of talent.  Some include James Baldwin, Margaret Atwood, Dylan Thomas, Angela Carter, Annie Dillard, E. E. Cummings, Winston Churchill, Seamus Heaney, Sylvia Plath , Doris Lessing, Philip Roth and Alice Munro as well as other well known literary figures.  Each has a story to tell and no one is unaffected by the first and most influential male figure in our lives.  

Born and raised in British Columbia, Andre Gerard is a twin which affected his upbringing and his relationship with his own father.  He planned this anthology when his own children became teenagers and he wondered about how his fathering would affect them.  He also has concerns for those children who grow up without a father.  Who takes that place?  What is the effect if no one does?  Readers will enjoy the essays and poetry while pondering the place of fathers in our lives.  This book is recommended for readers of nonfiction.