FATHERS
PAUL BIRKHEAD
JUNE 19, 2011

Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pop – no matter what you may have called him or call him still, many of us set aside time in June to honor and remember our fathers. One thing I’ve come to realize is the relationship between fathers and their children can be as complex as it can be sweet. The shelves at Rowan Public Library hold many items that talk about fathers and our relationships with them.

Good Stuff is a new book written by Jennifer Grant, daughter of the late actor Cary Grant. Through her book, Ms. Grant gives the reader a unique view into the private life of her father – a true American icon. It appears that the two shared a special father-daughter relationship and the book is filled with many fond memories and reminiscences. I’m sure those memories were made a lot clearer since Cary Grant took great care in preserving many stories, notes, and tape recordings of their time together.

Our Fathers’ War: Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation by Tom Mathews explores the dynamics between sons and fathers from the era of World War II. Mathews’ relationship with his own father, a WWII vet, inspired his book where he reports on ten households that dealt with “generation gap” issues. While some stories are funny, others are truly sad since they drive home the point that not all wounds were left behind on the battlefield. Many times, the relationships between vets and their children were the last casualty of the war.

My Father at 100 is a memoir of Ronald Reagan written by his son, Ron Reagan. The 40th president’s 100th birthday would have been in February of this year. To commemorate this fact, Ron Reagan gives the reader some fascinating background information on the Reagan family; how they ended up in America from Ireland, and what it was like for Ronald Reagan to grow up in the Midwest during the early part of the twentieth-century. My favorite portion of the book was when Ron Reagan writes about visiting sites from his father’s childhood.

One of America’s most endearing journalists has to be the late Tim Russert. I heard him interviewed once about his relationship with his father, Big Russ, and the book he wrote in 2004 about it. I finally got around to checking out Big Russ & Me from the library last year and I was so glad I did. I actually checked out the audio book version and it sure was nice to hear Tim’s voice again. While both Tim and his father are no longer with us, these stories celebrating their special bond remain.

Another item you can listen to is NPR Driveway Moments for Dads. Part of National Public Radio’s “Radio Stories That Won’t Let You Go” series, this audio CD is dedicated entirely to stories about fathers.

Whether you choose to check out a book or an audio CD, Rowan Public Library offers many items to help celebrate fatherhood.