The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler
New York Times Best Selling Author Bruce Feiler is known for his books on walking. 'Walking the Bible' even being turned into a PBS documentary. His livelyhood having very much to do with walking. Then an astonishing blow. A cancerous tumor on his femur. Not only could he lose his leg, his ability to walk, his livelyhood, Bruce could lose his life. As the father of 3 year old twins he was heartbroken.
This book is Bruce's attempt at making a safety net if he should succumb to the cancer. He gathered men representing stages of his life and characteristics that he wanted his girls to know about him if he could not be with them. Fantastic idea.
I found myself interested more in the medical aspect of the book and his day to day life with his wife and children. The Council of Dads was a great idea and the men had wonderful ideas about what they would do and say for the girls. But somehow I found myself not wanting to have anything to do with the council. Bruce seemed like a great father. I resented the fact that he might die and leave his wife and daughters. I didn't want him to die and I didn't like that he was making any kind of arrangements should events turn in that direction. I'm not saying he shouldn't have because as a good father he was doing something awesome for his daughter's future. I just didn't want him to die and I refused to be party to his planning for a dim future......so there.
At one point he and his wife go to visit the place where he will someday be buried. I think this was the saddest part for me. He writes........."Tears were streaming down our cheeks, salt trickling into our mouths. The rain was matting our hair. My crutches tumbled to the ground. And in the darkened cathedral of a Bonaventure thundershower, we clung to each other, pressed our foreheads together, and kissed on the land where we would one day rest forever. "
Rating 4 Great writing, good idea, smart articulate men.
Rating G Clean but a grave situation.
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