The Faith of a Child [Paperback]

Stefan Lanfer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 26, 2010

Preparing for fatherhood? Freaked out? Help is here.When a woman prepares for motherhood, other women guide her on her way. Not so a dad-to-be, who gets pats on the back, corny jokes, or vague assurances he'll do fine. Until now, his best hope was by-moms-for-moms baby books--a gap filled by Stefan Lanfer's The Faith of a Child. According to Lanfer, when his wife was pregnant, "I was STRESSED out, and the guys around me no help-until, just in time, I hosted a group of dads at our home. I fed them dinner. They fed me their stories." As he listened, says Lanfer, "I got inside the dad head space. Finally, I felt ready."To pay forward this gift, Lanfer shares his stories in The Faith of a Child, which tracks Lanfer's journey to and into fatherhood. To dads-to-be, Lanfer says, "If you want tips, tactics, and advice for childbirth and parenting, you've got dozens of choices. But, if you want real stories that actually let you picture fatherhood, The Faith of a Child is for you."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Well written, sensitive and poignant...a must-read for any man becoming a father for the first time. Full of stories that will at times have the reader laughing out loud and at other times thinking deeply..." --Wayne Parker, About.com

"an amazing piece of artwork. Intricate in it's written style...One man's journey to... become and be dad...I don't think I have ever seen a better "dad guide" anywhere, anytime --John Taylor, TheDaddYo Blog review

"This is quite simply a work of literature and a work of art. It's been a long time since I read something that resonated so deeply that it could draw out the emotions I feel as a first-time father." --Chris Singer, BookDads.com

"From cover to cover, an enjoyable read. No blatant advice...[just] simple stories from the life of a new dad coming into his own....You come away with a sense- 'Hey I can do this!'"
--Keith Marble, BreakAwayDad.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: lulu.com (February 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0557134528
• ISBN-13: 978-0557134526
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #594,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stefan Lanfer is a playwright and Boston-based father of two. He writes about the big mysteries revealed in the small moments of parenthood at www.DadToday.com, and about finding time and ways to make progress on the work you are most passionate about even when there seems to be no time and no way at http::/writemap.blogspot.com. In his day job, Stefan manages communications at the Barr Foundation. Find out more or contact Stefan at: www.DadToday.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read on fatherhood, October 23, 2010

By 

Book Dads - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Faith of a Child (Paperback)

This is quite simply a work of literature and a work of art. It's been a long time since I read something that resonated so deeply inside of me that it could draw out the emotions I feel as a first-time father.

Maybe it is the structure of the book itself which lends itself to this. The book is written in a very unique style that doesn't quite look like prose, but also doesn't really match poetry. Lanfer, a playwright as well, lets us know in the first chapter, which incidentally isn't the right term either, that this style was influenced from reading many plays and writing personalized no-thank you cards. The "chapters," in The Faith of a Child, indeed read more like scenes or vignettes from a play than the typical memoir.

While this book was written and intended for dads-to-be, the potential audience who would enjoy this read is much larger. I can see grandparents, moms, and "veteran" dads also enjoying this book. For me, a dad for a mere 13 months, I found myself finally finding the words to describe my emotions about being a father. That is a powerful experience, I can assure you. I found myself getting tears in my eyes throughout my reading of this book. Not tears of sadness either, but happy tears at finding so many similar memories and experiences as I read.

[...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Parenthood is a learning experience, February 13, 2010

By 

B. Sweetser (Milwaukee, WI United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Faith of a Child (Paperback)

I have to say that as a non-religious person, I was a bit concerned by the title of this book at first, but I've enjoyed Stefan's blog [...] and am expecting my first child this summer, so I really wanted to pick this up. From the time I started reading I had a difficult time putting it down. Through the ups and downs, Stefan really captures the magic of his parenting experiences, and I look forward to creating my own. I only hope that my memories of the experience can be captured in a similar manner that my child might be able to enjoy as he grows older.

This is a great read that I plan to share with friends and family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Succinct, touching, and fantastic!, January 12, 2010

By 

M. Bowman (Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Faith of a Child (Paperback)

Whether your first child is on the way, in the house, or out on their own, this book will entertain you and must be read. It is not a "how-to", nor is it preachy or overbearing. This book captures the essence of fatherhood and family. It illuminates the small (and large) moments in the life of a family, and shows them as they are: sometimes frightening, exciting, or even overwhelming, but always profound and wonderful. You will put this book down with a sense of awe for the beauty of life, and appreciation for all of the wonderful people who are a part of it.