What My Father Gave Me

Gr 10 Up—In her introduction, Little writes, "Like anyone we love and look up to, fathers have tremendous power over us, especially when we're teenagers in the full throes of figuring out who in the world we are." In this collection of first-person essays, seven women discuss their adolescent relationships with their fathers and how they affected their adult lives. Standouts include "Thirteen Answers for Alateen," in which the writer responds to a questionnaire with anecdotes about her father's alcoholism; "Truth, Dare, Kiss, Command, or Promise: Fragments from a Life," in which the narrator tells how she coped with sexual abuse; and "How to Make Ice and Other Things My Stepfather Taught Me," in which a seemingly immature, quirky guy who doesn't fit the stepfather mold becomes the father figure the writer and her family need. These and the other essays are intensely personal and honest, and the writers do not shy away from discussing some very painful subjects. Teens will appreciate this honesty and openness, making this anthology a good choice for YA collections.—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ