New Book Recommendations from the Reference Desk

What We're Reading at Perrot

NOT MY FATHER'S SON: A MEMOIR, BY ALAN CUMMING

[Non-Fiction] In 2010, Broadway, television, and film star Alan Cumming was approached by the producers of the British-- now also American-- celebrity television show Who Do You Think You Are? and asked to be the subject of an upcoming program. He agreed, allowing full access to family papers and information, because he was anxious to solve a longstanding family mystery: What ever happened to his maternal grandfather, Tommy Darling, who disappeared in the Far East after World War II? Cumming wanted to do this for his mother, who was only eight years old the last time she saw her father. We accompany Alan on this journey of discovery as he prepares for the broadcast and learns the fascinating truth about his grandfather. But the journey takes an unexpected turn when Alex Cumming, Alan’s father, reveals his own secret shortly before the show airs. With all the suspense and tension of a good thriller-- or an episode of Cumming’s hit series, The Good Wife--Alan’s family’s secrets are revealed. The audiobook version of Not My Father’s Son is particularly recommended, since the story is told by Cumming himself, a bonus for the listener given the actor’s natural gift for narration and his lilting Scottish accent.

See the rest of our latest list of recommendations!