This is an extraordinary book about fathering.
There are three narrative strands to this tale: one which tells the story of how Gaby was lovingly raised by her adoptive father, George. The second tells the story of how George was badly fathered: his experiences as an all but abandoned child are recounted with great poignancy in this book - they are why he put such effort into making sure his "special" girls (his two adopted daughters) felt loved and wanted.
The third story that winds its way through the book is Gaby's search for her biological father, which ends in unspeakable tragedy. Of the three fathers in the book, two spectacularly failed to father and the third was an exceptional father; he was the only one who had not fathered biologically.
From a small village in the Swiss Alps, to a landmark Dublin hotel, to the sumptuous and legendary Belvedere, an oasis of European sophistication and charm in the middle of seedy Kings Cross, Gaby Naher traces her adoptive parents' history. She also travels to Canada where she meets her birth father and her French-Canadian relatives and for the first time in her life feels she belongs. It is not till she returns to Australia that she learns the terrible truth about her father.
'The Truth About My Fathers' is a book for fathers and daughters everywhere - an almost unbearably moving, life affirming memoir of family secrets, sacrifice and the power of love.
