Forty Fathers: Men Talk about Parenting

Tessa Lloyd (Editor)

Douglas & Mcintyre (JUN 21) Hardcover $24.95 (320pp), 978-1-77162-243-1

Forty Fathers profiles forty Canadian men whose engaging discussions concern the contemporary meaning of fatherhood.

To give men an intimate look into the lives of other fathers, and to inspire change for the better, the text gathers a range of perspectives. Its entries are from famous fathers, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and retired WWF superstar Bret Hart, but also ordinary men who express willingness to become the best fathers they can be. The challenges of fatherhood, and the ways that those challenges are met, are expressed, including helicopter parenting, the dangers of the online world, and what it’s like to be a part-time dad after a divorce. Some fathers encourage their children to become activists; others talk about spending as much time as they can with their children.

The entries go beyond profiles of the fathers themselves to consider their own fathers and children. The men struggle with their personal histories at times, but also glean wisdom from their relationships. One speaker remembers how his father encouraged him to fight, but abandoned him when, at five, he fought a ten-yearold; another describes the pain of watching his child lose their newborn baby. These sometimes difficult histories show that fatherhood is about making choices.

The profiles are paired with family snapshots that capture intimate moments with quick captions. The details behind the images are vague; the focus remains on the fathers and their emotional connections to their children. Collectively, the entries serve as testimonies to fathers’ roles, showing how fathers pass on their values to their children and offer sources of support.

Forty Fathers is a powerful collection that gives credit to a wide range of fathers, showing how they stepped into their roles.