I recently read John Wood’s book – Good, Bad, No Dad. You can get yourself a copy here. The book is primarily about the issues surrounding fatherlessness, rooted in the author’s own experiences of growing up without a dad. It includes a series of extremely helpful interviews with other people who have experienced fatherlessness, from a range of backgrounds and in ways that have impacted them all quite differently. John Stevens, National Director of the FIEC, also provides a foreword that is a genuinely helpful addition.

Interspersed with the interviews are chapters on what the bible says about fathers, fatherlessness and a useful overview of the kind of fathers we read about in scripture as well as examples of those who grew up without a father. When read in toto, it is quite eye-opening that there really aren’t all that many good biblical examples (though there are one or two)! For those familiar with bible stories, very little of the chapters offering an overview of biblical fathers will say a great deal that is new. The benefit of these chapters is to see these men written about together, providing a powerful picture of just how widespread these issues are.

Personally, I found the interviews the most helpful aspect of the book. Both the range of people interviewed and the breadth of ways in which fatherlessness can come about. For some, it was being given up for adoption. Others, a father who abandoned the home. Others still, fathers who died. There were those who lost their father young, when they were older or as young adults. All impacted, all different. The vast majority of churches will almost certainly encounter people in the same situation and it gives a real sense of the issues and sense of confusion this brings. For those of us who grew up with fathers present in the home, it will perhaps give a new sense of gratefulness for them.

Not only have I read the book, I immediately passed it on. I can already think of other families who would benefit from a copy. It is a major issue that communities like mine face. Churches in deprived places see the impact of a fatherlessness epidemic and can give testimony to the issues. It is a very live problem in areas like Oldham.

If I were to criticise the book at all – and I am loath to do so – it is quibbles over minor matters. Two in truth.

First, the title is dreadful. I recognise these things are in the eye of the beholder, but I personally don’t like it and don’t think it communicates very much. I am the first to say you shouldn’t judge a book by a title alone – in this case (if you agree with me here), you would be the poorer for not getting this one. It is an excellent book. I just wish the title was better.

Second, I think some of the analysis of both the fathers and the fatherless in scripture could have been more concise than it was. None of it was useless and I can see why all of it remained. But again, personally, I think much of that material would be familiar to many readers and could have been referenced a little more concisely. That is not to say what was nevertheless included was not helpful.

Otherwise, however, I think the book is excellent. I’m not aware of anything else available that is like it. I found it eye-opening – not so much in terms of the extent of fatherlessness, the fact it is an issue nor that it will cause individuals genuine problems – but I suppose the extent of the personal issues it causes and the feelings it throws up. I can see many of the issues fatherlessness causes in my own community, but the extent of the pain and the issues were really brought home to me. I definitely learnt things that I would not have known but for reading the stories and interviews offered.

The book is eminently worth getting. Useful for pastors to understand issues within their congregations. Useful for anyone seeking to reach out and share the good news of a good father, God, with people who have never experienced a good or present father. It is useful for passing on to people who are currently experiencing fatherlessness in our churches, they will certainly be helped by it. I would definitely recommend it to you.

Good, Bad, No Dad by John Woods is produced by Grace Publications and can be purchased here.