A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart [Paperback]

H. Norman Wright (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

"A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart" speaks to all women who carry wounds from their dads-including emotional, physical, and spiritual absenteeism. It is relevant for any woman who did not get what she needed from her dad-whether he was in the home or absent from the home. Wright, the author of the #1 bestseller, "Always Daddy's Girl", points women to acceptance of their heavenly Father's love and grace to repair the damage as the author helps them through the healing process.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dr. Wright helps the reader to face the hurt and find healing." -- Laura Hilton, The Road to Romance

"This book will be helpful not only to daughters but to their fathers as well... A significant and helpful resource." -- Armchair Interviews, July '05

About the Author

H. Norman Wright is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist and a Certified Trauma Specialist. He serves on the faculty of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University and is former director of Biola University’s Graduate Department of Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. He is the bestselling author of more than 70 books, including Communication: Key to Your Marriage, Quiet Times for Couples, and Always Daddy’s Girl. Norman and his wife, Joyce, have been married for 45 years and live in Bakersfield, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764200747
• ISBN-13: 978-0764200748
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. H. Norman Wright is a Gold Medallion winner and author of more than seventy books. He is a licensed marriage, family, and child therapist and former professor at Talbot School of Theology and Biola University where he directed its Graduate Department of Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. He and his wife, Joyce, have been married more than forty years and live in Long Beach, California. They have a son and a daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A message of help and healing!, July 30, 2005

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart (Paperback)

We all know just how important 'dad' is, and how deeply we hurt and how profoundly we are impacted throughout our lives when he isn't there for us, or betrays or disappoints us. So for all the women who carry the burden of the wounds left by fathers who were/are absent physically, emotionally, spiritually or through abuse, please read A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart.

Dr. Wright, through narrative, case studies (stories), survey/assessment, scripture and written exercises helps daughters bring to the forefront their experiences and disappointments with their fathers - in order to resolve them and be healed.

I found the chapters on fatherless daughters (physically or emotionally absent or abusive) to be particularly powerful. The symptoms are worth reading to see if they fit you or someone you love. The chapter on daughters of divorce and the Adult Child of Divorce Characteristics (ACOD) is a must read. Then ask yourself, do I fit into any of these characteristics? No doubt any daughter of divorce will see themselves in some of the nine traits.

But it is the chapters on grieving absent fathers, facing the past and how to change your relationship with your dad that is so compelling. But the most important chapter is about God as your real father-God, the father who loves you unconditionally and has been and will always be there for you.

I believe that this book will be helpful not only to daughters but to their fathers as well. Daughters read the book and prayerfully follow the suggestions. Dads, read the book, see yourself and learn how to change and help heal that "dad-shaped hole" in your daughter's heart. Armchair Interviews recommends this book as a significant and helpful resource.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding The Men In Your Life, June 20, 2009

By 

DW (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart (Paperback)

One of the things I'm learning from this book that a lot of people have a lot of father issues. Some people have had fathers who have left them, died, weren't there for them and the list of things can be extensive. It's understanding how these father issues have impacted us and to learn, change, so they do not further damage us. Though I had my father around growing up, he had his own father issues, which I didn't even know to the extent until recently. Things of the past cannot be changed, but wounds and hurts can be healed.

Ignoring things are not a good issue.

Though mothers are very important, fathers have such a significant role in the lives of their children -- whether good or bad. Wright is an excellent author and I have many of his books. God has really blessed him with tremendous insights into relationships.

This book is helping me to have a more compassionate understanding of my dad, to perhaps learn more about my dad and have grace & mercy upon where he is, where he came from. We all have levels of brokenness and perhaps to help really hear my dad, to learn about him. I'm only part way through the book, and am looking forward to also learning more from Wright about my own dad.

Perhaps this will help me with understanding my former spouse more and forgiving him for what he's done to me, because of his own father issues he could never admit. This book is also giving me better insight into other people with father issues and as God puts various men into my life, how that impacts my kids and I

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sweet and helpful, September 9, 2009

By 

D. Perez (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Dad-Shaped Hole in My Heart (Paperback)

I think every woman should read this book, to understand her self and her relationships with men. One can not ignore the maternal and paternal influence in our present and future relationships.