Dallas Book Diva

LONGING FOR DAD: Father Loss and Its Impact
by Dr. Beth M. Erickson, Ph.D.

I think when a reader sees a title like this one, they tend to interpret the title from their own experience. I interpreted the "father loss" in the title to mean the natural death of my father because that is my own experience. In truth, however, the book identifies seven different causes of father loss: death, divorce, single mothering, adoption, addiction, abuse and traditional fathering. The common element in all but one is that it is the father's choice to absent himself. A father's death, unless it is a suicide, usually is experienced differently by a child or an adult because usually it is not the father's choice.

The book discusses how the loss of a father affects child development. Also, how adults are better equipped to deal with the loss. The book is filled with real stories used to illustrate each cause of father loss. There are Action Exercises that are interactive for the reader. Suggestions for recovery and several appendices are used to address the role of a therapist in dealing with issues brought about as the result of the loss of your father.

This book is informative and down-to-earth in approach. Suggestions for dealing with the loss of your father, at any age, make sense and are "doable" by real people who may be struggling. A must read for anyone.

To hear my interview with Dr. Beth M. Erickson, on my internet radio show INSIDE THE WRITER’S CAFÉ broadcast on www.webtalkradio.net, click on the link:

http://webtalkradio.net/index.php/show-hosts/3213-inside-the-writers-cafe-hosted-by-cheryl-nason All shows are available on-demand, so anyone anywhere in the world can listen at any time. If you find an interview with a favorite author or one you particularly like, you can go to I-Tunes and download it free.