Show Us the Father

A witty and poignant family memoir – the acclaimed literary critic unravels the mystery of his father, and, in the process, anatomises post-war English class, faith and ambition

‘He had been, in all the important ways, an impeccable father. And he had been, in all the important ways, a terrible son.’

James Wood grew up in a household shaped by evangelical fervour, social ambition and the peculiar faultlines of English class.

His mother, Sheila, was anxious, aspirational and determined to elevate her family, whatever the cost. His father, Dennis, was mild, generous and so selfless that his son sometimes wondered whether he possessed a self at all.

And yet Dennis had a secret. An atheist turned Anglican vicar, devoted husband and generous father, he had left his own family behind and never spoke of them.

In this piercing, funny memoir, Wood reflects on the story of his childhood in 1970s Durham and sets out to uncover the hidden life that preceded it, asking how a loving family man could refuse his past. The result is a tender portrait of a complicated household – and a richly observed story of faith, shame, ambition and the English post-war consciousness.