Why Fathers Cry at Night, Kwame Alexander
Why Fathers Cry at Night, Kwame Alexander
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Why Fathers Cry at Night
A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances

Author: Kwame Alexander

Narrator: Kwame Alexander

Unabridged: 3 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/23/2023

Synopsis

This powerful memoir from a #1 New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Medalist features poetry, letters, recipes, and other personal artifacts that provide an intimate look into his life and the loved ones he shares it with. In a powerfully intimate and non-traditional (or "new-fashioned") memoir, Kwame Alexander shares snapshots of a man learning how to love. He takes us through stories of his parents: from being awkward newlyweds in the sticky Chicago summer of 1967, to the sometimes-confusing ways they showed their love to each other, and for him. He explores his own relationships—his difficulties as a newly wedded, 22-year-old father, and the precariousness of his early marriage working in a jazz club with his second wife. Alexander attempts to deal with the unravelling of his marriage and the grief of his mother's recent passing while sharing the solace he found in learning how to perfect her famous fried chicken dish. With an open heart, Alexander weaves together memories of his past to try and understand his greatest love: his daughters.

Full of heartfelt reminisces, family recipes, love poems, and personal letters, Why Fathers Cry at Night inspires bravery and vulnerability in every reader who has experienced the reckless passion, heartbreak, failure, and joy that define the whirlwind woes and wonders of love.

About Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is a poet, an educator, and the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty-five books, including his Newbery Medal–winning middle grade novel The Crossover. Some of his other works include Booked, which was longlisted for the National Book Award; The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life; Swing; the picture books How to Read a Book and How to Write a Poem (coauthored with Deanna Nikaido), both illustrated by Melissa Sweet; and The Undefeated, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and won the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. He is a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, currently serving as their poet ambassador. He lives in Virginia with his family. Visit his website at kwamealexander.com. 

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lit Vibes on July 28, 2024

This memoir was incredible! I can’t even lie to y’all, this brought tears to my eyes a few times. The way Kwame laid out the poems, notes to his family, the recipes to family dishes, it’s all very nostalgic. It really hit home because a lot of who I am is directly related to food lol. I’ve never rea......more

Goodreads review by Maxine on March 16, 2024

Why Fathers Cry at Night is Kwame Alexander’s memoir. I should say right off, I should say right off I rarely read memoirs but, when I saw this on Netgalley, I was intrigued by the subtitle, A Memoir in Love Poems, Letters, Recipes, and Remembrances. Using all of these, Alexander reminisces about hi......more

Goodreads review by Carole on July 08, 2023

This review can also be found at [URL not allowed] This was not the kind of book that I would normally pick up but I am glad that I did. I think that it is good to step outside of your comfort zone from time to time and try something new. It keeps things interesting and allows me to see......more

Goodreads review by ashley on April 13, 2023

Kwame Alexander never disappoints. In this memoir collection of poems, musings, and recipes, we're given insight into who and how Kwame loves. He weaves intimate details into small moments and you find yourself lost in the relationships. I loved how easily Alexander travels between then and now, sho......more

Goodreads review by Ron on May 24, 2023

Kwame Alexander, a celebrated writer of books for young adults, presents a sweet and raw account of his path to adulthood in “Why Fathers Cry at Night.” “This is not a traditional memoir,” he confesses at the opening. “These are just snapshots of a man learning to love.” But it’s more than that — an......more

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