A Father for All Seasons
By Bob Welch
Harvest House, $14.95
ISBN 1565077776

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In A Father for All Seasons, Bob Welch refuses to settle for any simplistic definitions of fatherhood. With stories that are sometimes funny and sometimes heart-wrenching, Welch leads the reader through the seasons of the father-son relationship, from the first days when Dad is a hero to the time when he becomes a father himself.

Welch wrote this book when he stood at what he calls "a relational equator halfway between two poles." His own father had died a year before, and his oldest son had just gone off to college. His book is not a how-to guide to parenting (though much good advice can be gleaned from it), but rather a book of insights on the rewards and trials of being a father.

The "First Spring" of fatherhood is a time of joy and beginnings. One of Welch's most enjoyable chapters in this section is called "Firsts," in which he celebrates events in his son's life such as his first step, his first camping trip, his first round of golf, and the first time he breaks a window with a baseball.

"Summer" for fathers and sons is a time of discovery. In this section Welch writes about finally working up to "The Talk" about sex with his two sons. As they look out over the magnificent McKenzie River during a camping trip, Dad nervously tells the story of men and women and then asks if his sons have any questions. After a pause, his youngest son decides there is one more thing he would like to know: "How did God make this river so wide?"

"Fall" is the time when sons "transform from dependent to independent," and "Winter" is the time for letting go. Welch ends the book with a section called "Second Spring," a time of beginning anew, when roles change and "A son becomes a father. A father becomes a grandfather. A prodigal son comes home; a wayward father returns."

Many of Welch's well-written stories come from his own family, but he also writes about other fathers and sons he has known, particularly through his work as a reporter and editor at a large Oregon newspaper. He has received awards for his writing in many other periodicals including Focus on the Family magazine, Sports Illustrated, and Christian Parenting.

A Father for All Seasons is a heartfelt book that will inspire men of all ages.

Joseph Bentz is an author and a professor at Azusa Pacific University.