Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away [Paperback]

Elyce Wakeman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 291 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co (P); 1st Owl book ed edition (May 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805001670
• ISBN-13: 978-0805001679
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,324 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Addresses Most Every Father Loss Scenario, October 23, 2000

By 

Bethany McKinney (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away (Paperback)

This book has a very wide scope and attempts to address the many possibilities for how and when a daughter may have lost her father. There is a chapter on incest, one on paternal suicide, one on divorce/abandonment, etc. But the book's focus, is definitely on daughters whose father passed away when she was a child--and it makes sense that this is the focus, because that was the author's (Elyce Wakerman) situation. I, however, was most interested in the stories on divorce/abandonment, but those were few. The chapter on divorce is very good, and the stories included about divorce were helpful because as a child of divorce myself, I was able to resonate with the feelings of other women and to come to grips with the loss that I experienced. But this book was, for me, very unsatisfying. I felt like the times they mentioned the effects of divorce on a daughter were great--but they were few. So if you are a daughter of divorce, I would recommend reading a book devoted entirely to that topic, instead of this one. It is so wide in the range of women it addresses that I would recommend women dealing with father loss to find a book that deals more specifically with their individual situation. That said, this book did provide me with some good insights, and excited the desire to delve more fully into issues of father loss.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most important books in my life, July 25, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away (Paperback)

The first time I finished this book was at 4:00 in the morning. I promptly threw it across the room and cried until dawn. The second time I read "Father Loss," I dog eared the upper right hand corner of the pages I liked. The third time I read it, I dog eared the bottom right hand corners of the pages that interested me. After that, I took to highlighting the important paragraphs. My copy of "Father Loss" is all but mangled, but I will not give it up. Since 1985, I've purchased countless copies for women friends with similar backgrounds. You should read the thank you notes I've received...they're full of praise for Wakerman's masterpiece.

This book helped me to understand why I behave the way I do. It also gave me comfort in the knowledge that I was not alone in my suffering and that my anguish was real and worthy of attention. Although nothing will replace the black hole in my heart left by my father's death, "Father Loss" was the most important tool in my recovery and my path to a healthier relationship with men.

A must-have for any woman who has lost her father to death, divorce or abandonment. It will help. Trust me on this one

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent if you lost your dad at a young age, March 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Father Loss: Daughters Discuss the Man That Got Away (Paperback)

I originally purchased this book because I lost my father on March 5th. I'm 27 years old and I found that this book is a better resource for women/girls who lost their fathers under the age of 18. The book addresses losing a father due to death, divorce or abandonment. Unfortunately I thought it would help me even though I am an adult. I had a hard time relating to the stories of the girls/women in the book. Most reference the elementary school/teenage period without a father. However I would recommend this book for women/girls who did loose a father at a young age.