John Burnside recalls the failed relationship with his father, in the first of his trilogy of exquisite memoirs
With a new introduction by Megan Nolan
'A master of language' Hilary Mantel
He had his final heart attack in the Silver Band Club in Corby, somewhere between the bar and the cigarette machine. A foundling; a fantasist; a morose, threatening drinker who was quick with his hands, he hadn't seen his son for years.
John Burnside's extraordinary story of this failed relationship is a beautifully written evocation of a lost and damaged world of childhood and the constants of his father's world: men defined by the drink they could take and the pain they could stand, men shaped by their guilt and machismo.
A Lie About My Father is about forgiving but not forgetting, about examining the way men are made and how they fall apart, and about understanding that in order to have a good son you must have a good father.
'Memoir this good illuminates something larger than itself. It is an exercise in understanding, compassion and forgiveness' Sunday Telegraph
Saltire Scottish Book of the Year and the Scottish Arts Council Non-Fiction Book of the Year
| ISBN: | 9781529962888 |
| Publication date: | 7th August 2025 |
| Author: | John Burnside |
| Publisher: | Vintage an imprint of Random House |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 352 pages |
| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
| Other Genres: |
John Burnside recalls the failed relationship with his father, in the first of his trilogy of exquisite memoirsWith a new introduction by Megan Nolan'A master of language' Hilary MantelHe had his final heart attack in the Silver Band Club in Corby, somewhere between the bar and the cigarette machine. A foundling; a fantasist; a morose, threatening drinker who was quick with his hands, he hadn't seen his son for years.John Burnside's extraordinary story of this failed relationship is a beautifully written evocation of a lost and damaged world of childhood and the constants of his father's world: men defined by the drink they could take and the pain they could stand, men shaped by their guilt and machismo.A Lie About My Father is about forgiving but not forgetting, about examining the way men are made and how they fall apart, and about understanding that in order to have a good son you must have a good father.'Memoir this good illuminates something larger than itself.
A Lie About My Father features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Biography: general, Memoirs, Relationships and families: advice and issues
Paperback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. In Stock.
A Lie About My Father was written by John Burnside and published by Vintage an imprint of Random House
A Lie About My Father has 352 pages
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. In Stock.
