I'd heard a lot about "The Council of Dads" by Bruce Feiler but apparently hadn't paid too much attention to that info.

What I got was not at all what I expected.

Following a cancer diagnosis, Feiler writes of his decision to gather a council of men to father his daughters. He chooses six men who each can speak to a particular facet of his personality or time in his life for high daughters should he not survive long enough to be there for them.


He details why each man was selected and what he hopes they will shares with his girls.

And he chronicles a bit of the struggle he and his family undergo in the months following his diagnosis.


He certainly does tug at the heartstrings, but not in an overly sentimental way. In that sense, I enjoyed the book.
But I guess where it would have helped to have paid more attention to that chatter is that I expected to read how these men interacted with his family. And they really don't. I also thought there'd be more reaction from the men themselves.

I know it's a first-person account and all, but what would your reaction be if a friend of yours asked you to be there for his kids if he dies? I know what I think a reaction would be, but perhaps the reality is different.

The move to create councils has grown, and that's certainly not a bad thing. We can all use a few more people looking out for us in the world.

Find out info on forming a council here.
-Tricia Ambrose