Shaving Lessons: A Memoir of Father and Son

by Kurt Chandler

With a mixture of admiration, amusement, and alarm, author Kurt Chandler watches his son Ben navigate his freshman year of high school. It's a transitional time for both of themfather at mid-life and son on the path to manhoodwhich they manage together by awkward graceful turns. As the two share Ben's life adventures, includiding Ben's first shave, first date, sports tryouts, a road trip, and a rock concert, Kurt gains new insights into his own childhood and relationships with his parents, and the ways in which he handled his own adolescence. Publishing in time for graduation and Father's Day, this moving and honest portrayal of a father-teenage son relationship offers a real unsentimental understanding of what it means to be both a father and a son.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2000

Reviews

[Douglas Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's funny how life spins you in circles," writes Chandler (Passages of Pride) in a refreshingly humble memoir that explores the relationship between him and his teenage son during the latter's freshman year in high school. Reflecting on his dual roles as father and son, the author finds himself doing the same things with his son that his own father did with him: installing ceiling tiles, taking road trips, and playing ball. Chandler's writing style is readable and engaging, and his witty, thoughtful parenting style displays a reasonable, even admirable model. Similar to Bill McCoy's joyous Father's Day: Notes From a New Dad in the Real Word, Shaving Lessons will interest those who want to learn about effective family relationships. Highly recommended for public libraries.

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[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and found I couldn't put it down. Kurt is a delightful writer and I felt, when I finished the book, that I was a fly on the wall watching him and his family over the time the book was written.

I loved and admired Kurt's insight into himself and his relationship with his son. I was sorry to see it end.

[Sue Kozlowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-fiction. Explores the relationship between father and son. Kurt lives in Milwaukee and has a son Ben who is a freshman in high school.