What My Father and I Dont Talk About..., Michele Filgate
What My Father and I Dont Talk About..., Michele Filgate
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What My Father and I Don't Talk About

Author: Michele Filgate

Narrator: Raquel Beattie, Cassandra Campbell, Krystal Hammond, Soneela Nankani, André Santana, Suehyla El-Attar Young, Michele Filgate

Unabridged: 9 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/06/2025


Synopsis

A follow-up to the wildly successful What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About, this “moving and deeply relatable” (Qian Julie Wang, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Country) collection of essays from sixteen notable writers breaks the silence on the complex—and sometimes contentious—relationships we have with our fathers.

What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About is a rare gem in the literary world. Both a viral sensation online and chosen by Oprah Daily as one of the best nonfiction books of the past two decades, it is an essential collection that dives into the topics we struggle to discuss with those who are meant to know and love us best.

“With tenderness and aplomb in equal measure” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), this captivating follow-up tackles the intricate and challenging relationships we have with our dads. Andrew Altschul reflects on the life-altering experience of becoming a father and how it reshaped his view of his own dad’s parenting. Isle McElroy revisits weekends spent tagging along as their father fixed up the homes of his wealthier colleagues. Jaquira Díaz delves into her father’s history in 1970s Williamsburg, uncovering the roots of their shared restlessness. Tomás Q. Morín paints a raw portrait of an absentee father, while Kelly McMasters portrays her father’s love and dedication. Maurice Carlos Ruffin insightfully captures a father who communicated through his integrity rather than words. Jiordan Castle reveals how we can love our fathers from a distance and Susan Muaddi Darraj’s “Baba Peels Apples for Me” explores the similar burdens placed on immigrant fathers and their eldest daughters.

With moments that are both humorous and deeply moving, “these fearless essays, each one unputdownable, are likely to reassure readers that whatever relationship they have or don't have with their own fathers is just right” (Booklist).

Contributions by Michele Filgate, Andrew Altschul, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Dylan Landis, Jaquira Díaz, Kelly McMasters, Isle McElroy, Susan Muaddi Darraj, Tomás Q. Morín, Robin Reif, Heather Sellers, Jiordan Castle, Nayomi Munaweera, Joanna Rakoff, and Julie Buntin.

About Michele Filgate

Michele Filgate is the editor of What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About and What My Father and I Don’t Talk About. Her writing has appeared in Longreads, Poets & Writers, The Washington Post, Los Angeles TimesThe Boston GlobeThe Paris Review DailyTin HouseGulf Coast, Oprah Daily, and many other publications. She received her MFA in Fiction from NYU, where she was the recipient of the Stein Fellowship. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Anita on March 01, 2025

This is a great follow-on book to What My Mother and I Don't Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence. Like any collection of essays, there's fantastic ones and some that are more ho-hum. But for me, these essays escalated in quality pretty steadily as the book went on, so the second half was j......more

Goodreads review by Joshua on February 05, 2025

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy of What My Father and I Don’t Talk About by Michele Filgate. This was a good read, though, I don’t know that I was who this book was intended for. It was fascinating to read about the experiences different folks had in their r......more

Goodreads review by Tara on April 27, 2025

What My Father and I Don’t Talk About by Michele Filgate and various other authors. Nonfiction Writing: A Stories: A Style: A Best Aspect: Separate short stories by each author made this a quick read. My favorites were Little Boy Blue and the And in the Moon and It Would Happen Again. Worst Aspect: Some s......more

Goodreads review by The Bookish Elf on May 20, 2025

In this deeply moving anthology, editor Michele Filgate assembles an emotional tour de force that excavates the complicated territory of father-child relationships with unflinching honesty. Following her wildly successful "What My Mother and I Don't Talk About," Filgate returns with sixteen writers......more

Goodreads review by Kelly on February 22, 2025

I just finished reading What My Fathers and I Don’t Talk About, a powerful collection of essays that explore the complexities of father-child relationships. Each piece offers a deeply personal reflection on love, loss, silence, and the unspoken tensions that shape our connections with our fathers. S......more