Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 18! It’s the perfect time of year to give thanks to the people who helped nurture us and make us into the people we are today. It’s inspired plenty of authors to touch on the silly, serious and heartbreaking sides there are to fatherhood—such as Davon Loeb does in his new book, The In-Betweens, where he writes about the two men, his father and stepfather, who helped him find his place within his Black and Jewish heritage.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect present for dad or are celebrating this year with the person who served as your father figure, here are 4 more great reads to mark the special day.
Why Fathers Cry at Night
Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown and Company, 2023)
Kwame Alexander takes readers on an honest journey through his own life. The memoir shows Alexander learning about relationships, first by watching his parents and later by stumbling through his own love life through grief and loss. Using a mix of letters, music and even family recipes, the bestselling author manages to convey the array of experiences that allowed him to reflect on his love for his children, his greatest love of all.
Price: $24
My Seven Black Fathers
Will Jawando (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022)
Author and prominent activist Will Jawando is determined to show the world the strength that Black fathers hold in our communities and that they are just as deserving of celebration as any other dad. Jawando speaks of the importance of Black men in our communities and how they become fathers, not by blood but purely through their love and support of those who need it most. Readers who join Jawando on his journey of reflection will certainly come away with renewed appreciation of their own father figures who helped to shape them, too.
Price: $14
Letters to the Sons of Society
Shaka Senghor (Hanover Square Press, 2022)
Shaka Senghor’s latest release is a passionate step towards being a better version of himself, a path that he invites the reader to follow him down. “Letters to the Sons of Society” is a collection of Shaka Senghor’s own raw letters to his two sons, Jay and Sekou, as he begins his own journey of honesty and fatherly love. Not only is Senghor’s book a reflection of Black America, but it’s also a guide to a brighter future as he shows how fathers can pass their healing onto their sons.
Price: $19
Don’t Cry for Me
Daniel Black (Hanover Square Press, 2022)
Daniel Black’s heartbreaking and honest novel is sure to make readers shed a tear or two. “Don’t Cry for Me” follows Jacob, a dying father who writes letters to his gay son, Isaac, to try and rekindle the love that exists between father and son that’s been lost through generational trauma. The novel offers poetic insight into the challenges of Black fatherhood and reconciliation.
