Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation

I think this is my favorite book of his thus far. This is the fourth book of his that I've read and they are all wonderful. I have three sons and a daughter, all in their twenties, and I have given all of them Blue Like Jazz to read. They loved it! I will be giving this one as well. Wonderful truths about what a man is, how he is made to be in relationship with God, with others. And how God wants to father us and heal our wounds, whatever they may be.Donald Miller is so real and so honest, and really breathes new life into the subject of Christianity. It really is all about relationship and being restored to the Father.

I found this very helpful in understanding kids without a Father of which I have several in our neighborhood which I have become a Father figure too and can't stress the joy it's been to see these boys lives changed and how this book has helped me understand what its like growing up without a Father figure and how to fill the void, something all of us men can do and this book helps understand how to do it better.

This is not really a self-help book, except in that I think it helped Don Miller as he wrote it. But it, for me, was helpful nonetheless. I grew up as a fatherless daughter, but a lot of the same problems surface in fatherlessness, whether you're a daughter or a son. It was crazy reading the same struggles I deal with show themselves in Don's writing. The one that stood out to me the most was the struggle with not wanting to get too deep with others, because you don't want to be a burden to them. I also related to the not feeling like you belong. This struggle shows itself in different ways for me than it does for Don, of course. Don says he felt like there was a club of men he didn't belong to, and I have felt that way amongst friends who come from stable, two-parent homes. I went through a mixed bag of feelings surrounding that--first just a general sense of not having what they have, and later a sense of unfairness that came with hurt and a feeling of being an outsider. Not belonging, as Don puts it. So, all in all, a ton of what Don said resonated within my own heart. It did me a lot of good to see somebody analyze themselves and realize some of the same things were true for me, too. I do agree with other posters: it can't just stop there. There is still a missing piece: that Christ enables us to be healed from whatever we've been through. But I understand that the crowd Don generally writes for is nonbelievers, and in that light, I like his approach. He made it relatable, and yet still acknowledged God's part in his life in the midst of everything. All in all, I do think this book could be effective in drawing some young men (and possibly young women) closer to a relationship with God, but they'll need some outside resources to fill in that missing piece more fully.

Love how Donald described his feelings before, during and after meeting his father after 30 years apart. Glad that he got the closure his heart needed

My husband grew up in a fatherless home. I grew up in a very secure home with two parents. We mentor teenagers and very much believe in the saying "they don't care how much you know until they know how much you care". I feel it's very important to educate yourself on your audience. Donald Miller's perspective helped me to see through the eyes of a man who noticed the absence of his father. Through Donald's writings he consistently shares such raw and personal content which helps the reader feel accepted as they are as opposed to some authors who come across as gods attempting to teach us their ways. I believe Father Fiction will help me ask good questions when mentoring teens by allowing me a fraction of an experience of how it may feel to be in their shoes. Understanding that maturity is a challenging and intentional process and how to break out of generation cycles are all pieces of wisdom in this book that point us back to what the Word of God says. The bible is true and relevant to today and Donald Miller's Father Fiction rings truth to that. A quick and easy read for me but took my friend, who recommended this book to me, years to get through as it has been a help to her during her maturity process. She grew up in a fatherless home.

This book was recommended to me by my grandson whose father is mostly out of his life. He is adopted to us due to drug use and mental illness. He read this book while in juvenile detention for a few days. He told me that if I want to know anything about him, I could read this book. So I did. Much to my benefit. I have known our grandson is suffering over the loss of his father through the years. He knows his father loves him, but not enough to change to be in his,life. It is so painful our grandson has tried many things looking for peace over being fatherless. He has had his poppa as a surrogate father. He feels the love poppa has for him, but there hasn't been much interaction. The depth into which this book covers the loss my grandson feels is amazing. It has helped heal him. It also has helped heal me as it reaffirms in new words, my relationship with God. It makes me want to take more action in living in a thankful and serving way to others to show my gratitude to God better. I can't give this book a high enough rating. It is written apparently as the author lived and learned many hard truths. Truths we all must learn. I strongly urge everyone to read this book. You will greatly benefit from reading and pondering it. My thanks to the author.

I originally thought this book wouldn't be relevant to me as my father wasn't absent in my childhood. I was wrong to assume that! Having read the book, I now have a better understanding of the importance of a father figure in everyone's life and the unique way in which God the Father is offering to father us all. It's a great book to give young men or women as it opens up the truth about growing into maturity in a language that is understandable and acceptable to them.

Great book and very helpful. It was previously titled To Own A Dragon. I have that book but it must have needed to be rebranded for a wider audience to know its content.

How this man can write and get you thinking outside the box.

Enjoying thanks

A challenging and poignant book, in which the author draws on his difficult personal experience to make a positive influence on many 'fatherless young men'. Although Donald reflects form a purely American perspective, the facts are all too real for us here in the UK. 'Sons need to be Fathered' and have a 'role model' to guide them in the important decisions in their lives. Whilst not being a Dad myself, I am blessed with the opportunity of being a 'Spiritual Father' to other young adults. This book is an asset to me...make it an asset to you!