The Father I Had
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Transworld Publishers Ltd
Published:23rd Oct '17
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Father and son: arguably the most complex of all family relationships. But what happens when your dad is a manic-depressive who paints the front door in the middle of the night and sends good-wishes to Michael Crawford scrawled on a pair of underpants?
Martin Townsend grew up with a father, Ron, who had suffered recurring mental illness since the early 1950s. At the slightest emotional trigger he could turn from a loving and compassionate dad to a restless, dead-eyed depressive or a spiteful, bullying monster.
In The Father I Had, Martin Townsend, editor of the Sunday Express, paints a powerful, often painful portrait of life with his dad. From the soaring, often hilarious 'highs' to the horrific 'lows' of his father's three suicide attempts, he tells a story of pain, courage and resilience and produces a moving and account of a close family nearly torn apart by mental illness.
I laughed and cried at Martin Townsend's touching account of a son's embarrassment, fear, pleasure and love in his relationship with his father ... A powerful indictment of a society that still fails people who have a mental illness. * Jenni Murray, Presenter, Woman's Hour *
Sad, even tragic, but leavened with such affection and humour that laughter keeps breaking through the tears. A lovely hymn to family love. * Terry Wogan *
A compelling read that makes you laugh as well as ache ... a vivid snapshot of life in suburban Britain in the early '60's. * Woman & Home *
An acutely written and deeply felt portrait. * Daily Express *
Down to earth and amusing ... reveals the compassion and strength of a child growing up in the shadows of mental illness. This book should bring comfort and encouragement to the hundreds of families who contact SANE still feeling excluded and alone. * Marjorie Wallace, Chief Executive SANE *
ISBN: 9780552174664
Dimensions: 198mm x 127mm x 28mm
Weight: 315g
448 pages