Review: Priestdaddy

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood is a memoir of sorts.  I say "of sorts" because it doesn't read like a standard memoir.  There are paths hinted at but unexplored.  I wasn't always sure where stories fit in the timeline of her life.  Some chapters seemed to stand alone.  And sometimes I forgot I was reading a memoir because it was all a little too surreal.  Maybe having a father who is also a Catholic priest is that surreal.  Lockwood's father is the hook for the book, but I think her mother is the truly interesting one.  She is the most present.  She has the best lines.  My parents' religion and politics couldn't have differed more from the Lockwoods, and yet there were some similarities that had me wondering if these are universal parental traits or possibly Midwestern parental traits.

While there is a lot of humor in here, there are also some very serious topics like rape and abortion.  Readers sensitive to those topics may have a tough time navigating. 

Bonus points for having a cat that is your father's nemesis.  I also have never enjoyed a story about hunting so much in my life.

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