Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation [Hardcover]

Donald L. Miller (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 6, 2010

CHAPTERS FOR A FATHERLESS GENERATION

With honest humor and raw self-revelation, bestselling author Donald Miller tells the story of growing up without a father and openly talks about the issues that befall the fatherless generation. Raw and candid, Miller moves from self-pity and brokenness to hope and strength, highlighting a path for millions who are floundering in an age without positive male role models.

Speaking to both men and women who grew up without a father—whether that father was physically absent or just emotionally aloof—this story of longing and ultimate hope will be a source of strength. Single moms and those whose spouses grew up in fatherless homes will find new understanding of those they love as they travel along this literary journey.

This is a story of hope and promise. And if you let it, Donald Miller’s journey will be an informal guide to pulling the rotted beams out from our foundations and replacing them with something upon which we can build our lives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; REV edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439169160
• ISBN-13: 978-1439169162
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It seems we humans carry the weight of our dads' shortcomings. I know—mine left when I was nine. Don writes with candid humor and unembarrassed honesty. he rips himself open. This book sings to those who have felt repsponsible for their father's demons. The truth is, our real Father is perfect in every way, especially in His love for us. Thanks, Don. This book spoke to a place deep inside of me." (Jeff Foxworthy )

“Unfortunately, Father Fiction is not stranger than life . . . it is true life for millions of children. I am fond of saying that children have a "hole in their souls" in the shape of their dad, and when a father is unable or unwilling to fill that hole, it leaves a woulnd that is not easily healed. Like Don, I too was a fatherless boy and am a wounded soul as a result. Writing this book has helped heal Donald. Reading it has helped heal me.” (Roland C. Warren, president, National Fatherhood Initiative )

“Nobody does truly honest, personal stories quite like Don Miller. And while this is his unique journey, there are steps along the way which we've all had to take, and questions we've all had to ask . . . about love, worth, significance, and meaning. Don's trek to those answers is a compelling read." (Ernie Johnson, studio host, The NBA on TNT )

“Don Miller has written another book that seamlessly blends raw emotion, vivid storytelling, and a life-changing message—all infused with sophisticated humor. Father Fiction exposes the wounds incurred in Don's own childhood, then paints a picture of hope for a different kind of future. A future I certainly want to see come true for all young people." (Josh Shipp, host of jump Shipp; author, The Teen's Guide to World Domination; MTV personality )

About the Author

In 2005 Donald Miller started The Mentoring Project, an organization that helps churches start mentoring programs and pairs mentors with boys in need. Don’s work with the fatherless led the Obama administration to invite him onto the president's task force on fatherlessness and mentoring. Donald is the director of The Burnside Writers Collective, an online magazine. He is a frequent speaker, appearing at events such as the Women of Faith Conference, The Democratic National Convention, and Harvard University. He still lives in Portland, Oregon with his dog Lucy

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Howard Books; REV edition (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439169160
• ISBN-13: 978-1439169162
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #95,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donald Miller grew up in Houston, Texas. Leaving home at the age of 21, he traveled across the country until he ran out of money in Portland, Oregon, where he lives today.

Harvest House Publishers released his first book, PRAYER AND THE ART OF VOLKSWAGEN MAINTENANCE, in 2000. Two years later, after having audited classes at Portland's Reed College, Don wrote BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which would slowly become a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller.

In 2004 Don released SEARCHING FOR GOD KNOWS WHAT, a book about how the Gospel of Jesus explains the human personality. SEARCHING has become required reading at numerous colleges across the country. In 2005 he released THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS, the story of his and a friend's road trip across the country. Don's most recent release was a book about growing up without a father called TO OWN A DRAGON.

Don has teamed up with Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson to write the screenplay for BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which will be filmed in Portland and Nashville in 2009 and released thereafter.

Don is the founder of The Belmont Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation which is working to recruit 10,000 mentors through 1,000 churches as an answer to the crisis of fatherlessness in America.

A sought-after speaker, Don has delivered lectures to a wide range of audiences, including the Women of Faith Conference, the Veritas Forum at Harvard University, and the Veritas Forum at Cal Poly. In 2008 Don was asked to deliver the closing prayer on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Don's next book, A MILLION MILES IN A THOUSAND YEARS, humorously and tenderly chronicles Don's experience with filmmakers as they edit his life for the screen, hoping to make it less boring. He then shares the principles storytellers use to make a story meaningful and exciting, exploring their effects when he applies those principles to his actual life.

Of his new book, Don says: "It might be the greatest book ever written. I don't think anybody is going to read a book again after they read my new one. I think God is proud of me. I am going to make a killing off this thing, and I'm going to use the money to go to space."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost missed this one June 7, 2010

By Robert G. Leroe VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I nearly passed on reading Father Fiction; I knew it by the former title but honestly the new title made me even less likely to read it...reason being, I grew up with a father. I only read it because I like Donald Miller. What I wasn't expecting was a lot of wisdom about life in general. And the book gets better as it goes along. Several chapters have little to do with the angst over growing up without a dad. I don't know how this book should've been marketed, but a lot of people probably won't read it who, like myself, grew up in a conventional household. And by the way, having a dad hardly means life is great. I had one and I am one, and there's baggage aplenty. "We all carry a father wound." We're all pretty disfunctional regardless of how we grew up. Eventually we realize that we're accountable for our choices and the parenting we received may be an influence but does not fate us to success or failure.

The chapters on dating, sex, and vocation should be read by everyone. This is Miller at his best. I especially liked his description of going on photo shoots with his nature photographer (and editor) friend John. He has perfected a refreshing style of writing that sounds like you're sitting with him at a coffee house. Don shares his Christian convictions without sounding preachy. Get beyond the title and enjoy.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "A hopeful book, full of brutal honesty" April 9, 2010

By C. Christopher Smith

Format:Hardcover

[ This review originally appeared in
THE ENGLEWOOD REVIEW OF BOOKS - Vol 3 #13 - 09 April 2010 ]

Writing in a conversational tone that is both humorous and engaging, Donald Miller is a superb writer, certainly one of the finest living writers of spiritual memoir. And yet, for most of his adolescent years, he struggled with his schoolwork, wondering if he really was incapable of learning and doing just well enough in school to get by. The son of a single mother, who worked slavishly to provide for their family, Miller attributes many of his academic and emotional struggles to the lack of a father in his life. In his newest book, Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation (which some readers will recognize as a reworking of his 2006 book To Own a Dragon), Miller bares the scars on his soul left by growing up without a father figure. Miller tells the stories here of the many men who mentored him on his journey, serving as surrogate fathers for various lengths of time and to varying degrees of success. It was, for instance, a youth pastor in his church, who befriended him and saw the gift of words in him, encouraging him to write -- even in a phase of his life where he had yet to read a book from cover to cover.

Father Fiction is not a light book, full of brutal honesty that will get its readers (presumably mostly men, or women who want to understand the experience of maleness in world dominated by fatherlessness) to think about their own formational experiences with their fathers, fatherlessness. Miller observes that this book is about "the hard, shameful, embarrassing stuff ... me secretly admitting to you I needed a father, and how I felt like half a man until I dealt with those issues honestly...." Indeed, the road that winds its way through Father Fiction is a bumpy one that must be taken slowly and attentively. Underlying Miller's spinning the yarn of his life and speaking frankly about the wounds he suffered from growing up in a home without a father, is a deep stream of social criticism, a poignant assessment of the contemporary brokenness of the family and its psychological and sociological implications that never waxes nostalgic (as many religious conservatives are wont to do) for the stereotypical nuclear family of a bygone era. Indeed, his frank critique of the Promise Keepers' concept of masculinity -- which has dominated evangelical understandings of masculinity over the last two decades -- was a breath of fresh air.

Ultimately, Father Fiction is a hopeful book, inspiring those of us who are fathers to be more attentive to our fathering and to reach out in compassion to those young men around us (or even one young man) who are growing up without the presence of fathers in their lives. It would be a fabulous book to be read in our churches, especially by groups of men (and even moreso if a diversity of ages are represented in the group). This is perhaps the finest book I have ever read on the topic of masculinity (a topic on which, admittedly, I have not read all that many books), steering a wise course between the authoritarianism of the traditionalists and the drum-pounding psychobabble of new age men's movements. Read more ›

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So disappointed, but... August 31, 2010

By Reader

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this book and nearly fell over when I noticed that this was actually "To Own a Dragon" with some revisions and under a new publisher. I already own a copy of the original book (which is a really good read), so I am disappointed that the product description did not include this bit of VERY USEFUL information!I enjoy Miller's writing when I am in the mood for a light, easy read. I would not consider it great enough to buy twice though. Furthermore, Miller uses this book to promote his Mentoring Project for fatherless kids. As a single mother, with little extra money to spare, I feel a little hoodwinked by this marketing ploy. In all, mama is not happy!

edited review 9/23/10: I want to clarify that I am not unhappy with the the book, or the author. I really enjoy Miller's writing. I am displeased with the Editorial Review on the product description page, and with the new publishing company's recommendations to change the title and drop the co-authors name in order to sell more copies.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice, But Could Have Been Stronger May 22, 2010

By Travis Peterson

Format:Hardcover

Donald Miller is, without question, a name that his easily recognized in modern Christianity. Some love his works; some, not so much. Father Fiction is my first reading of Miller's works, and my own response is mixed.

In this work, miller talks to young men about growing up without a dad in his life. The Authors own father was not present in his life, and this led to him struggling through many important developmental issues.

Positives

Many authors Endeavour to adopt a style that is conversational in tone. Sadly, most make the reader feel like they are struggling to manage this feat. Not Miller. Miller's style is easy-to-read. As a reader, I found myself feeling like I was listening to a guy sitting across my living room or addressing a small group. This makes the pages fly by, and gives a great note of realism to Miller's work.

This work has some very helpful, down-to-earth, advice to offer. Miller talks with frankness to young men about the need to grow up, to take responsibility for life, and to not let their past determine their future. The author speaks strongly about the need for young men to learn to pay their bills, to study for themselves, and to treat women and sexuality appropriately. There is an undertone of devotion to God that flows through these pages as the thing that will make all this actually able to come right.

Negatives

While there is a sort of God undertone in this book that comes to the forefront, it is not nearly as prominent as would have made me happy with the work. Miller very seldom sites the holy Scriptures, and thus his writing smacks of Dr. Phil's advice as much as it does Christian writing.... Perhaps this is intentionally geared by Miller for a lost audience, but as a believer, it seemed that Miller gave good advice without going to the real source of power for life-change.

In a couple of instances, miller borders on crudeness. Of course, this is not at all uncommon for authors in Millers subgenre. His particular statement about what makes a "real man," the possession of--shall we say--the proper physical equipment, is very edgy and not something I would particularly like an immature person to be spouting. Don't get me wrong, I understand Miller's point, and he is not nearly as edgy as several others in his field. However, this section stands out, and I consider it more negative than positive.

Recommendation

Father Fiction has the potential to speak with piercing clarity to many young men. If you have a young man in your life who is struggling with the lack of a father figure in his life or who is giving himself to too long an adolescence, this book might help. There are certainly points in the book that spoke to me, and I had a dad at home, and I'm glad to have heard them. However, I wish the book had a better use of Scripture and a more developed theology in evidence. Also, it could be used poorly by someone who is too immature to handle earthy language without it doing him harm. Read more ›