Dear Dad: Letters from the Heart

2013 | Biography

'Dear Dad' is about the special relationships between fathers and daughters told through a series of letters from women to their fathers, interviews with TV celebrities, and the author's recollections of her own father. The importance of the influence that a father has on his daughter is becoming increasingly acknowledged and documented as shown by recent published research. Despite the special bond that is common between father and daughter, all too often the true nature of that bond remains unexpressed. Sadly some women never take the opportunity to tell their dads just how they feel; many of the letters in this book were written after the father's death. The book has been written to inspire both daughters and fathers to share their feelings with one another while they can - be they feelings of gratitude, love or resentment. It may help to bridge the sometimes, inevitable gap between a father and a daughter. At the same time, much of what is said will resonate and it is an emotional read, both happy and sad, filled with stories that we can all identify with.

'Dear Dad' was inspired by a conversation between the author and a male friend who felt he was losing touch with his daughter. Just as it will encourage daughters to speak more often and more candidly with their fathers, so it will also help fathers to open up to their daughters. The book's breadth of appeal is also strengthened by the fact that the letters in it have been written by women from a wide variety of ages and cultural backgrounds. This also means that it deals with a range of issues, from domestic violence to adjusting to life in another country.

Virginia McFeeley (Author)