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 his efforts to reconnect with his radical dad, his marriage and divorce but mostly about his love for many of the women who have been influences in his life, his mother and his grief when she died, his ex-wife, his daughter and for Nikki Giovanni, his teacher at university and later his friend. This is a fast read but it is also raw, profound, and powerful, one that will stay with the reader, a beautiful book which will, no doubt, be read over and over again, providing new insights with each reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown, and Company for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )

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 how my tastes may have changed. If you had told me that I would enjoy a book that contained a fair amount of poetry, I wouldn’t have believed you but that is exactly what happened. I found this to be a rather enjoyable read overall.

This was an interesting collection of letters, poems, recipes, and essays that came together to tell a story of love. I probably haven’t read any poems since I was in school and they forced it upon me (unless you count the occasional greeting card, which I do not). These were so much better than the poems that I remember and I loved the way that they came together to tell a story. We see the author’s childhood, his relationship with his parents, the love he had for his wives even if the marriages ended in divorce, and the love he has for his daughters. I really liked how the author included recipes since we often share our love through food. I am glad that I took a chance and decided to give this one a try.

I received a review copy of this book from Little, Brown and Company. ( )

Fully Kwame and yet something fully different, this book is was a masterpiece in how to write a book that is as full of questions as it is of answers. Kwame's story doesn't focus so much on his success as a children's writer (although he shares that this was not his original plan and path). It focuses on the love he has known in his life (his mother, his exes), the love that is complicated (his father) and the love that he extends (his daughters)

There are recipes of foods that he associates with an individual. There are lists and wishes, the good memories and the bad memories. Kwame is refreshingly honest with how he has screwed up. How he has so much left to learn. He thanks those who have impacted him from authors like Nikki Giovanni and Jacqueline Woodson as well which is a great touch.

The title is deceptive because admittedly, I was expecting something racial. And indeed it could be. But my takeaway is Kwame loves being a father and the growing up of his daughters, the changing seasons, is why he cries at night. Both tears of joy and tears of sadness. As a parent, I resonate with this so hard. SO hard.

I'm glad I read this. Yes there were moments I didn't love the free verse/prose style in a memoir genre, but as I started this review, it's Kwame....who cares? ( )