What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To and Letting Go of Their Daughters

by Andrea N. Richesin

In this surprisingly vulnerable collection, twenty-eight talented fathers explore the complex, enigmatic bond they have with their daughters. These endearing, often funny and sometimes heartbreaking stories have in common an overpowering sense of responsibility and a depth of affection that is unflinchingly tender. Through their shared experiences, they examine relationships fraught with challenges and struggles, but always filled with love. The gentle strength they bring to this important role in their daughters' lives will speak to families for generations to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Andrea N. Richesin is the editor of four anthologies, Crush: 26 Real-life Tales of First Love; Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond; What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To, and Letting Go of their Daughters; and The May Queen: Women on Life, Love, Work and Pulling it all Together in Your Thirties. Her books have been excerpted and praised in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, Redbook, Parenting, Cosmopolitan, Bust, Salon and Babble. She lives with her husband and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reviews

[Cindy Hudson]

The relationship between dads and their daughters is often complicated in ways neither understands or is likely to talk about much. A peek into the dad’s side of the equation can be glimpsed through a new collection of stories called What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To and Letting Go of Their Daughters, edited by Andrea N. Richesin.

These stories honestly express the fears, hopes, insecurities, and dreams dads feel for their daughters. There are dads of newborn daughters, young daughters, adopted daughters, and adult daughters. One particularly powerful story even portrays a dad’s experience of having his wife deliver a stillborn baby girl. Each essay is moving in its own way. Some will make you laugh, and others will make you cry, but they will all give you reason to contemplate the father-daughter dynamic.

Pictures of the contributors with their daughters are in the back of the book, and I found myself studying the photo of a writer and his daughter after reading his essay. If you particularly like a writer’s style, in many cases you’ll also find other works he’s written listed in the bio. I’m not sure who would enjoy this book most, dads or daughters. Moms are likely to want to read it too, for the insights they may gain about their own dads as well as their husbands.

[Rudi]

This was an easy read... the essays got repetitive after a while. Some definitely stood out and were better than others. It was good to read about parenting/fatherhood from a man/father's perspective. Especially because my husband, who is an AWESOME dad, isn't quite an "artistic" or "romantic" type who can put his feelings into words. All of the contributors are professional writers, so it kind of limits the scope of experience they have in life. It would've been interesting to read essays written by engineers or doctors, etc. It was interesting, though, to read about fatherhood from a non-LDS perspective.

[Liz]

There are few books that explore the tender, complex relationships between fathers and daughters, and this collection of essays reveals how funny, multi-layered, revealing, or simple these relationships can be. Never sappy but often touching.

[Zachary Pitts]

I would only recommend this book to fathers of daughters.

That said, it really did make me realize I can not, and should not, try and protect my daughter from everything. Life is for living, and I'm here to show that to her.

[Ted Glick]

I loved my buddy Colin's story.

[Brandon Hobbs]

I bawled. These letters were poignant and beautiful. I completely loved this book cause I indentfy with the aching love of a father to his daughter.

[Sarah]

A whimsical and uplifting book from fathers to daughters. Had me smiling and crying at times. Makes me treasure the relationship I have with my father.

[Ann]

I enjoyed reading this - gave me new insight...