Daddy's Ok: Fathers' Stories Of Separation, Divorce And Rebuilding

Description

On the 13th of May 2011 Michael Fox brought morning traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge to a halt with his protest against the family law and child protection system. Only four days later in Brisbane, the Australian media ran hot with the tragic news that Paul Rogers had murdered his ex-partner Tania Simpson and a family friend Anthony Way, before killing himself and his five year-old daughter Kayla. In a separated family the mother can usually continue to live her normal life as a home maker and child rearer, while the father cannot as easily do that. His role as protector is often diminished often to the point of losing all contact with his children. Daddy's OK looks at the true experiences of 14 men going through separation or divorce. Their stories are told in three main stages: 'Eyes Opening' - how they become fully aware of what has occurred; 'Existing With What You See' - how they get through their lives while coming to terms with what is now visible, and; 'Living and loving' - making sense of life as it is and turning it into something positive and long-lasting. With over 50,000 men and women getting divorced every year, this process of separation and divorce has become a common 'rite of passage' for men. Not every man interviewed for the book claims to be in a better place after their divorce. Each man has a story that is as similar as it is different, and each one of them illustrates things that work, and what don't work, to build stronger and healthier individuals, husbands, fathers, and family relationships generally.