Mixed Emotions: Memoirs About Fathers

by Séamas O'Reilly

A family of loud, argumentative, musical, sarcastic, grief-stricken siblings are shepherded into adulthood by a man whose foibles and reticence were matched only by his love for his children and his determination that they would flourish.

by Kao Kalia Yang

Presents a memoir of the author's father, a Hmong song poet who was driven from the mountains of Laos by war and came to Minnesota as a refugee, sacrificing his gift for his children's future in America.

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

A memoir of growing up in the tough world of Baltimore in the 1980s chronicles the relationship between the author and his father, a Vietnam vet and Black Panther affiliate, and his campaign to keep his sons from falling victim to the temptations of the streets.

by Erin Hosier

A fierce, vivid memoir about a father-daughter relationship steeped in God, rebellion, and the Beatles. It is a searing and often funny exploration of how women first see themselves through the lens of a parent's love, and of the ties that bind us to our childhood heroes, who ultimately lead us to ask that most profound of questions: Is love really all you need?

by Alison Bechdel

An unusual memoir done in the form of a graphic novel by a cult favorite comic artist offers a darkly funny family portrait that details her relationship with her father, a historic preservation expert dedicated to restoring the family's Victorian home, funeral home director, high-school English teacher, and closeted homosexual

by Kate Fagan

All the Colors Came Out is Kate Fagan’s completely original reflection on the very specific bond that one father and daughter shared, forged in the love of a basketball which over time came to mean so much more.

by Nabil Ayers

A memoir about one man's journey to connect with his musician father, ultimately re-drawing the lines that define family and race.

by Charlie Gilmour

A story of two men who could talk to birds but not each other. A father who fled from his family in the dead of night, and the jackdaw he raised like a child. A son obsessed with his absence and the young magpie that fell into his path and refused to fly away. This is a story about the crow family and human family; about repetition across generations and birds that run in the blood; about a terror of repeating the sins of the father and a desire to build a nest of one's own.

by Erin Lee Carr

Shattered by the death of her journalist father, Erin Lee Carr began combing through the entirety of their shared correspondence—1,936 items in total. What started as an exercise in grief quickly grew into an active investigation: Did her father's writings contain the answers to the questions of how to move forward in life and work without your biggest champion by your side? 

by Alan Cumming

In his unique and engaging voice, the acclaimed actor of stage and screen shares the emotional story of his complicated relationship with his father and the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career.

by Alice Ozma

When Alice was in 4th grade, she and her father decided to see if he could read aloud to her for 100 consecutive nights—then neither wanted to let go of their ritual so they decided to continue until the day she left for college. Here, Ozma recounts vignettes about her relationship with her father and the life lessons learned from the books he read to her.

by Wade Rouse

In a story of love, family and forgiveness against the backdrop of America’s favorite pastime, an award-winning memoirist and internationally best-selling author shares how he found solace with his dying father through their undying love of the St. Louis Cardinals.