The Father Effect by John Finch with Blake Atwood

From the time John Finch was 11 years old he no longer had a father. His father committed suicide and Finch didn't know what to do with the gaping father hole that was left in his life for many years. When he was a father himself raising three young girls, Finch realized he needed God and he needed to forgive his father and himself in order to move on with his life. He wanted to be the best dad and husband he could be to his young girls. This touching book is also based on a feature film also called The Father Effect. Finch said he felt God was calling him to reach out and to share his story to help other men and women heal from the loss of their fathers. Whether they lost a father from death, divorce, or if they just had dads who weren't emotionally present, healing can be found through God and through learning to forgive.

As a woman I have a different sort of father wound. I still have my dad, but he doesn't talk to me very often. I can see how my distant relationship with my dad led me to make some poor choices early on. I can also see where my dad didn't get training on being a dad from his dad so I can forgive him and understand where he came from. Fortunately, I also went to counseling and spent time in prayer with God, was helped and then healed from some of my wounds. As a result, I made better choices and now have a good relationship with my husband and we have been married many years. I think The Father Effect would be a helpful book for both men and women with father wounds of many types. Finch gives both personal stories from his life and the life of other people along with the sound advice of other experts to offer a solid book with a lot of helpful information in it. I would especially encourage men to read it and to become the best dad they can be to their kids. As Finch shared in several places, it isn't about being perfect, but rather being available and real with your kids while looking to God to lead you.

As a woman, I also liked the chapter in The Father Effect that John's wife, Michelle, wrote about her experience with him and their family. There is also a chapter just for women and how we are affected by dads who are absent or distant.

With many broken and struggling families in our world today, I think The Father Effect would be a truly helpful book to many of us. I highly recommend it.

I received a copy of The Father Effect from FaithWords. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.