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Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key
Weaving the author’s coming of age in 1980s New York with his life as a father today, this Nick Hornby–meets–Cheryl Strayed debut memoir examines father-son relationships, the pain of early parent loss, and the importance of embracing your passions.
For nearly fifteen years, Matt Fogelson didn’t recognize how deeply the early death of his workaholic father had affected him. Then he had a son of his own and the floodgates opened, helping him realize that even deeper than the wound left by his father’s death were the wounds inflicted by his absence while alive.
Restrung follows Fogelson from his beginnings as a music-loving kid combing through vinyl in Greenwich Village, through his struggles to overcome his grief during young adulthood, and into becoming a man who is startled by the reemergence of his long-suppressed passion for music after becoming a father. Told with humor, grief, and hope, it’s the story of a passionate music lover’s effort to break free of the real and imagined constraints standing between him and his best life—an effort that ultimately allows Fogelson’s son to know his father in a way Fogelson never knew his.
Funny and deeply honest, Restrung is a balm for every father and son fortunate enough to still have each other in their lives. It will inspire readers to try to cross the emotional gulf that seems almost endemic to the father-son relationship and finally break through to one another.
For nearly fifteen years, Matt Fogelson didn’t recognize how deeply the early death of his workaholic father had affected him. Then he had a son of his own and the floodgates opened, helping him realize that even deeper than the wound left by his father’s death were the wounds inflicted by his absence while alive.
Restrung follows Fogelson from his beginnings as a music-loving kid combing through vinyl in Greenwich Village, through his struggles to overcome his grief during young adulthood, and into becoming a man who is startled by the reemergence of his long-suppressed passion for music after becoming a father. Told with humor, grief, and hope, it’s the story of a passionate music lover’s effort to break free of the real and imagined constraints standing between him and his best life—an effort that ultimately allows Fogelson’s son to know his father in a way Fogelson never knew his.
Funny and deeply honest, Restrung is a balm for every father and son fortunate enough to still have each other in their lives. It will inspire readers to try to cross the emotional gulf that seems almost endemic to the father-son relationship and finally break through to one another.
304 pages, Paperback
Published February 3, 2026
11 people want to read
About the author
Matt Fogelson
3 booksMatt Fogelson is a writer and former lawyer whose true passion is music, primarily of the classic rock variety. His Substack, Fine Tuning, blends personal storytelling with a love for the music that makes sense of life, centering on new artists and the intersection of music and parenting. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scary Mommy, and NPR. Matt resides in Oakland, California.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 5, 2026
3.8 ⭐️
I rarely read memoirs but this one caught my attention as it revolves around the special bond between a son and his father…
It’s a memoir about fatherhood, loss, grief and healing… and the power of music 🙌🏻
The author talks about his childhood with an “absent” father, always consumed by work, and how he navigated life after losing him to cancer during his college years…
This part was so heartbreaking I teared up many times while reading it.
The author exposes his grief with such authenticity and vulnerability, and a beautiful expressive writing, that we feel everything he’s going through: the sadness, the anger, the questioning, the guilt, the self-hatred, the despair, the longing…
His intense grief shaped his life and affected many of his decisions and behavior. But music was there in all its charm and played an important role in letting him channel these intense emotions.
The parts I was most interested in were those introspective moments the author had, reflecting on his feelings, and questioning what caused him to behave in certain ways…
The non-linear narration mirrors the way his father is never confined to the past but remains constantly present in his son’s life—guiding him (even if sometimes indirectly) toward becoming a better version of himself. In turn, the author expresses a deep desire to become a better father to his own son, to be fully present and always there for him, encouraging him to always follow his own path.
I rarely read memoirs but this one caught my attention as it revolves around the special bond between a son and his father…
It’s a memoir about fatherhood, loss, grief and healing… and the power of music 🙌🏻
The author talks about his childhood with an “absent” father, always consumed by work, and how he navigated life after losing him to cancer during his college years…
This part was so heartbreaking I teared up many times while reading it.
The author exposes his grief with such authenticity and vulnerability, and a beautiful expressive writing, that we feel everything he’s going through: the sadness, the anger, the questioning, the guilt, the self-hatred, the despair, the longing…
His intense grief shaped his life and affected many of his decisions and behavior. But music was there in all its charm and played an important role in letting him channel these intense emotions.
The parts I was most interested in were those introspective moments the author had, reflecting on his feelings, and questioning what caused him to behave in certain ways…
The non-linear narration mirrors the way his father is never confined to the past but remains constantly present in his son’s life—guiding him (even if sometimes indirectly) toward becoming a better version of himself. In turn, the author expresses a deep desire to become a better father to his own son, to be fully present and always there for him, encouraging him to always follow his own path.
February 3, 2026
Matt Fogelson documents the importance of music that he has felt his whole life in this interesting memoir. As he becomes a new father, he thinks back to the ways that music has influenced his thinking and feelings for as far back as he can remember.
Growing up loving music, concerts, and playing record albums brought him clarity and thoughts to contemplate. After his father died, he struggled with how to go on, thinking about how much he missed his father and how much his father was missing out on his own son's life. As always, music was the savior comforting him through the bad times and blessing him during the good times.
I enjoyed all the snippets of lyrics and mentions of bands sprinkled throughout the book. Each incident reminded me of how much music was, and still is, such a big part of my own life. In the end, Matt hopes that his own son will take comfort and strength from the music that is so important to him.
Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key is a must read for all music lovers!
Growing up loving music, concerts, and playing record albums brought him clarity and thoughts to contemplate. After his father died, he struggled with how to go on, thinking about how much he missed his father and how much his father was missing out on his own son's life. As always, music was the savior comforting him through the bad times and blessing him during the good times.
I enjoyed all the snippets of lyrics and mentions of bands sprinkled throughout the book. Each incident reminded me of how much music was, and still is, such a big part of my own life. In the end, Matt hopes that his own son will take comfort and strength from the music that is so important to him.
Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key is a must read for all music lovers!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key by Matt Fogelson
A life told through songs - a soundtrack to childhood, loss and becoming a parent. Fogelson intricately weaves stories of his upbringing, his complicated relationship with his father, his own journey into fatherhood and the central role of music has played in helping him make sense of his life.
This is a gem of a book. I found myself repeatedly telling my husband he had to read it while I was still in the middle of it. It is both heartwarming and deeply poignant. For anyone who loves music, it’s intensely relatable - pulling you back to those songs that hit you hard, that you played loudly and on repeat, that seemed to understand you when nothing else did.
Fogelson examines a relationship with a father, largely defined by absence, the complicated grief following his father’s death and how his longings for connection shaped many of his choices in life. He writes with vulnerability and honesty about his mental health struggles and how music served both as a balm and as a mirror - reaching into feelings of rage, despair and self hatred. He beautifully captures the power of certain songs that feel as if they were written just for you: the way you can sink into them, find release, and briefly escape both the world and yourself.
This memoir is a thoughtful exploration of grief, family, expectations and hope; and of the quiet joy that comes when you finally allow yourself to follow your own path and loosen the constraints you’ve placed on yourself.
A life told through songs - a soundtrack to childhood, loss and becoming a parent. Fogelson intricately weaves stories of his upbringing, his complicated relationship with his father, his own journey into fatherhood and the central role of music has played in helping him make sense of his life.
This is a gem of a book. I found myself repeatedly telling my husband he had to read it while I was still in the middle of it. It is both heartwarming and deeply poignant. For anyone who loves music, it’s intensely relatable - pulling you back to those songs that hit you hard, that you played loudly and on repeat, that seemed to understand you when nothing else did.
Fogelson examines a relationship with a father, largely defined by absence, the complicated grief following his father’s death and how his longings for connection shaped many of his choices in life. He writes with vulnerability and honesty about his mental health struggles and how music served both as a balm and as a mirror - reaching into feelings of rage, despair and self hatred. He beautifully captures the power of certain songs that feel as if they were written just for you: the way you can sink into them, find release, and briefly escape both the world and yourself.
This memoir is a thoughtful exploration of grief, family, expectations and hope; and of the quiet joy that comes when you finally allow yourself to follow your own path and loosen the constraints you’ve placed on yourself.
February 10, 2026
An incredible story of grief, growing up, and finding yourself all strung together through a passion for music. Matt reflects on his childhood with a workaholic father and how that affected how he navigated adulthood after his father passed away. While I am fortunate to have had an involved and present dad, the way Matt wrote about his father’s terminal illness and his own grief resonated so deeply with me. Everything I felt after losing my dad, he was able to put into words. And the way he threads his grief throughout the book feels very true to how grief feels in the real world - it comes and goes, and never truly goes away.
The nonlinear timeline kept the story moving in a really unique way. While not much of this story was focused on Matt’s time as a father, you can feel the importance of each moment he described and how that likely shaped his parenting. I also felt like I learned a lot about a world of music I knew little to nothing about. It was great to be sent back to a time in history before the digital age of music when listening to music was an entirely different experience on its own.
The nonlinear timeline kept the story moving in a really unique way. While not much of this story was focused on Matt’s time as a father, you can feel the importance of each moment he described and how that likely shaped his parenting. I also felt like I learned a lot about a world of music I knew little to nothing about. It was great to be sent back to a time in history before the digital age of music when listening to music was an entirely different experience on its own.
February 7, 2026
I’ll start by saying that I am an avid reader, and I love memoirs. This one may be the best one I’ve ever read.
Its themes are relatable—abandonment, belonging, acceptance, loss, inadequacy—and dealt with in such a thought-provoking way, I found myself thinking about my own life.
Layered on top of this is the writing, which is beautiful—the exquisite similes and metaphors, the transitions from one topic to another (so that’s what my English teachers were all aiming for…), the seamless incorporation of thoughts, experiences and lyrics from musicians.
And on top of that, there is the music—as an avenue to processing and coping with experiences. I’m not a music buff, but I learned a lot and gained a great appreciation for the value of music in understanding and healing. If you like rock, it will be even more meaningful.
The book grabbed me in the first chapter and, throughout, I laughed, I cried, and I was entertained from start to finish.
Its themes are relatable—abandonment, belonging, acceptance, loss, inadequacy—and dealt with in such a thought-provoking way, I found myself thinking about my own life.
Layered on top of this is the writing, which is beautiful—the exquisite similes and metaphors, the transitions from one topic to another (so that’s what my English teachers were all aiming for…), the seamless incorporation of thoughts, experiences and lyrics from musicians.
And on top of that, there is the music—as an avenue to processing and coping with experiences. I’m not a music buff, but I learned a lot and gained a great appreciation for the value of music in understanding and healing. If you like rock, it will be even more meaningful.
The book grabbed me in the first chapter and, throughout, I laughed, I cried, and I was entertained from start to finish.
February 7, 2026
“Perhaps that is what it means to be a father – to teach your child to live without you.” 🥺❤️
In this heartfelt and inspiring memoir @mattfogelson tells this story of his life in relation to music, his own father, and his journey through fatherhood himself.
Having lost his high powered attorney father to cancer, he spends his life struggling with that loss and his father’s priority of work and cases over his children. Using music, he heals from these issues over time.
Determined to break the cycle, he takes his love of music and infuses that into his parenting style for his son Jed. I loved revisiting old rock songs and the nostalgia of cassette tapes and burning CD’s through his writing. Good times. Music is a gift and it heals, if you let it.
Thank you to @booksparks for the gifted copy for review.
In this heartfelt and inspiring memoir @mattfogelson tells this story of his life in relation to music, his own father, and his journey through fatherhood himself.
Having lost his high powered attorney father to cancer, he spends his life struggling with that loss and his father’s priority of work and cases over his children. Using music, he heals from these issues over time.
Determined to break the cycle, he takes his love of music and infuses that into his parenting style for his son Jed. I loved revisiting old rock songs and the nostalgia of cassette tapes and burning CD’s through his writing. Good times. Music is a gift and it heals, if you let it.
Thank you to @booksparks for the gifted copy for review.
January 29, 2026
Matt Fogelson is clearly a great writer and had an interesting story to tell in this upcoming memoir that releases on February 3, 2026.
Growing up in New York City with a powerful lawyer father. Matt often felt neglected - like he was at the bottom of his father’s list of priorities. However, Matt’s full understanding of who his father was is really what this story is about.
Told in an often-times unlinear format, I found the story intriguing and enjoyed the ties of music throughout.
The character of Aunt Wendy deserves a standalone book - I’d love to know more about her life. Those parts were definitely my favorite!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Growing up in New York City with a powerful lawyer father. Matt often felt neglected - like he was at the bottom of his father’s list of priorities. However, Matt’s full understanding of who his father was is really what this story is about.
Told in an often-times unlinear format, I found the story intriguing and enjoyed the ties of music throughout.
The character of Aunt Wendy deserves a standalone book - I’d love to know more about her life. Those parts were definitely my favorite!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2026
Yes, Restrung is a memoir about fatherhood, but it’s also about living with disappointment, unanswered longing, and the quiet fear that we aren’t enough—even when, deep down, we know we are.
Rock music isn’t a backdrop here; it’s the lens through which Matt Fogelson understands himself and makes sense of the world.
I felt everything reading this—grief, tenderness, and was surprised by how often I laughed. The writing is restrained, generous, and emotionally precise.
Matt Fogelson is an author to watch.
Rock music isn’t a backdrop here; it’s the lens through which Matt Fogelson understands himself and makes sense of the world.
I felt everything reading this—grief, tenderness, and was surprised by how often I laughed. The writing is restrained, generous, and emotionally precise.
Matt Fogelson is an author to watch.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
While losing his workaholic dad in college Fogelson didn’t realize how much it actually affected him till he had a son of his own.
This memoir captures the quiet courage of a father learning to navigate a new and unexpected path. With music as a guiding metaphor, this story explores grief, hope, and the profound love that grows when life doesn’t follow the original score. It’s a gentle, inspiring reminder that some of the most meaningful journeys are the ones we never planned.
This memoir captures the quiet courage of a father learning to navigate a new and unexpected path. With music as a guiding metaphor, this story explores grief, hope, and the profound love that grows when life doesn’t follow the original score. It’s a gentle, inspiring reminder that some of the most meaningful journeys are the ones we never planned.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Matt Fogelson has written a genuine heart felt memoir.Love between a father and son is truly endless and timeless.Memories from past are always present .ALWAYS!
Such an original story with facets of life that only , Matt Fogelson can share
Such an original story with facets of life that only , Matt Fogelson can share
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews