Customer Reviews

The Nine Lessons: A Novel of Love, Fatherhood, and Second Chances

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When August Wilte learns his wife is pregnant, he's terrified. His own father, London, was less than perfect. To make things worse, his mother died when he was very young, so he's never been exposed to "good" parenting.

August confronts his father, demanding an explanation for his failures. Instead, London suggests that meet once a month for a round of golf. Both men get what they want: London gets the chance to reintroduce his son to the game of golf, and August receives tidbits of memories of his mother on golf score cards that London used as a sort of diary.

August soon learns that his father's motive isn't just golf. Each golf lesson is actually a life lesson. By the time his wife has reached the end of her pregnancy, August has received nine lessons in life from his father.

I'll have to admit, I was apprehensive about reading THE NINE LESSONS when I read the description. However, I enjoyed Milne's other book THE PAPER BAG CHRISTMAS I thought I'd give him another chance. I'm glad I did. Milne's characters are genuine and experience emotions we've all experienced. The messages relayed in THE NINE LESSONS are messages that we can all take to heart.

Length:: 1:16 Mins

My quickie review of The Nine Lessons: A Novel of Love, Fatherhood, and Second Chances.

A GUY BOOK, novel, not a study. Powerful life lessons put into a story form with a golf greens setting. "The Nine Lessons" is better than football.

August, animal vet, age 27, is shocked when his wife's pregnancy test is +. 7 years of birth control found a loop-hole. Now August must face up with the fact he knows nothing about being a father, will likely fail, just like his widower father did with him. But after another fight with his golf-nut dad, and wanting to know more about his mother who died when he was only 4, he agrees to 9 monthly golf lessons from dad. One for each month of the pregnancy. With each lesson he gets information about his mom. Blackmail? Will Augusta, named after a golf course, learn to play the game, finally? Will relations improve? Will he be a real dad?

With this book came pleasant surprises. LOL fun; can't stop suspense; and each chapter is led with a golf quotation worth the book's bargain price in 2010. I was `GOT' with the final or 9th golf lesson. And that wasn't even the powerful climactic ending. The best Christian Men's book I've ever read. But beware, guys, after reading so many paragraphs, lines, and so much laughing out loud, my wife is reading it now. It took me an afternoon, and the next morning to read. I did sleep between, but it was hard to set it aside even for a good night's rest. When she's done, it goes to my sons, or I'll buy each one.

Best chapter started with the line "Other than the words `I'm pregnant,' the most terrifying thing my wife has ever said to me is `baby shower.'" Humorous chapter--almost red-neck jokes funny. Maybe it's because I've been drug to a baby shower. It's also enlightening, about mulligan's; forgiveness; do-over; & second chances. Actually I could relate to almost every chapter and each of the 9 golf lessons. But I'm a grandfather x 9.

A perfect gift for men (or pregnant women), fathers, couples just having had a new child, grandpas, golfers, duffers, and anyone who likes reading Christian novels. This is better than 5 stars. It's an `eagle' read.

Every golf course should have a supply of this book on shelves in the pro shop. Timeless reading.
Kevin Alan Milne also wrote "The Paper Bag Christmas" and "Sweet Misfortune."

The Nine Lessons: A Novel of Love, Fatherhood, and Second Chances
August Witte doesn't want to be a father; after all, his own father wasn't a very good one. When his wife delivers the news that she is unexpectedly pregnant, August storms off and drives to his father London's house in the middle of the night to confront him about their shared past. London Witte's life is all about golf, but August was never a very good golfer despite London's frustrating attempts to teach him as a boy. When London finally cuts August from the golf team in his freshman year of high school, it drives a wedge between the men that never heals. When August also accuses London of refusing to share his memories of August's deceased mother, London proposes a deal. He has a chest containing dozens of golf scorecards on which he kept a journal of his experiences during his marriage. He will give the cards to August in installments, and in return August will agree to play nine games of golf with his father. London believes that golf is life and life is golf, and that golf can teach August to be a better father.

Over the course of the next nine months, August learns a series of lessons from his father that are accessible even to non-golfers. When his wife is touchy and temperamental due to morning sickness, he learns that you play golf faithfully even in the rain. When she humiliates him at their baby shower, he learns to give her a "mulligan", i.e., to forgive her. And when he begins to consider how to teach his children how to behave properly, he learns about golf etiquette. Through reading about London's experiences first as a young father and later as a widowed father, August comes to see himself reflected in his father after all. Through the lessons of golf and his new, admittedly often rocky relationship with his father, August begins to address the fears and insecurities about fatherhood that are common to all new fathers.

Milne has made an interesting choice with this book. He could easily have used his ideas about life and golf to write a short and pithy - and probably forgettable - nonfiction book with a title like "Everything I Needed To Know About Being a Father I Learned from Golf." Instead, he has deftly woven these insights into an engaging novel where even the minor characters, like Fertile the Turtle and The Teenage Drama Queen, become an integral part of the story. It's also a story that illustrates how easily fathers and sons can come to misunderstand each other, and holds out hope that a rapprochement is possible in even the most hopeless cases if only we can bring ourselves to tell each other the truth.

Who knew I would like a book about golf so much?

August Witte has been married to Erin for seven years and he is happily childless. That happiness is threatened when Erin announces she is pregnant. She's quite happy about it, but August has some grave reservations. His father, London, is a golfer--not just someone who occasionally golfs, but someone for whom golf is life and life is golf. Since August really cares nothing about golf, he and his father seldom see each other and very rarely communicate. But upon learning he's about to become a father, August visits his father to complain that he's not ready to be a parent.

His father makes a deal with him--if August will take nine golfing lessons from London (one for each month of the pregnancy), London will share stories of August's mother who died when August was quite young. What follows is the delightful story of August's monthly golf lessons with his father and, slowly, August's awakening to the life lessons presented to him.

Although I'm not a golfer, I found the story engaging and easy to read. While at first I absolutely did not like August, over time and over the golf lessons with his father, I liked him more and more, coming to understand his fears of fatherhood. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who might have an uncomfortable relationship with a parent, anyone who is a parent, but especially to anyone about to become a parent.

Heartwarming and funny. Some parts will make you laugh out loud, others will tug at your heart.

This is a must read! At one point (baby shower) I was laughing so hard I was crying!! I love the "mulligen!" So much life inspiration in each book he writes!! I don't like golf so I was hesitant to read this. However his other books were so good I decided to give this a try. So glad I did!!

I looked forward to reading Nine Lessons as I had just finish The Final Note. I thought the message in this book was slow to develop and just didn't hit me square on. The story may develop more as it proceeded, but I didn't finish the book. I hope that the son gave London a second chance at fatherhood.

I had been given this book for Christmas and got around to reading it on a flight to Texas. What a treasure! I was laughing and crying the entire flight. It resonated with me on many levels. I enjoyed it so much that I have purchased 20 copies as gifts.

I have also emailed the author who responded within hours!

This is a great book. It made me look back at the many lessons my father has taught me, and appreciate him even more. I would urge everyone to give this a try. I believe you will love it. It is the kind of book that you HAVE to share.

this is one of the finest books I've read. I bought a couple: one for myself, and one for my sister. I had originally read it in a Reader's Digest book and when I finished I gave it to a fellow air passenger for him to read. I recommend it for every parent and even those who aren't!