Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

 

In May, we read Jennifer's pick: Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood. The book is a memoir about the unique life of a woman whose father is a Catholic priest. "How is this possible?" one might ask, given the Latin rite and practice of clerical celibacy. Well, apparently with conversions, exceptions can be made. The memoir covers a period of time in Lockwood's life when she is a married young woman, trying to be a professional writer but needing to live with her parents to help make ends meet. The author uses frequent flashbacks to uncover relevant episodes of her childhood up to the not-so-distant past when she leaves home as a newlywed.

There were definitely laugh-out-loud moments in this book! In addition to some hilarious situations, there were also many moments of humorous wordplay and sophisticated puns. Many of the characters were very likable including the author, mother, and husband. We liked how both were extremely supportive of Lockwood as she pursued her dream of becoming a writer. The husband was witty and had a good sense of humor about living with his crazy in-laws. We also felt bad when he had to deal with an emergency medical problem early in their marriage.

The memoir did take a turn in the middle as the author wrestled with some serious issues from her past as well as uncomfortable truths that were being covered up in the church. Throughout the tell-all narrative, the reader gets a rich understanding of her family's dynamics and especially her complex relationship with her father.

Our discussion included some technical details about the rules of Catholicism and even what the buildings mentioned in the book, such as a rectory, looked like. With regard to Catholicism, we also talked about the newly chosen pope, his personality, and the elaborate election process.

Discussions also linked back to our personal lives including summer plans, the challenges of traveling given the current political climate, children's college applications and decisions, empty nesting versus free birding, aging parents, and racing. We missed Liz this time around and are crossing our fingers she'll be with us next time. And yes, if you look at the picture carefully, it is a serious deep-fake as I combined four photographs into one to make it look like everyone was there at the same time smiling (I am proud to say that no AI was used). Until we meet again in August!