The Dark Dad

The damage done to a family by war

Art historian Mary Kisler grew up in the early 1950s with a father who talked little, whose affection she cherished and whose anger she feared. She later came to understand the trauma that lay behind his dark moods: rejection and violence in his childhood and the brutal experience of being a prisoner of war in Italy and then Germany from late 1941 to 1945.

In this affecting memoir, she traces back through her father’s life and war record, discovering a man who had suffered but who ultimately found peace of mind among the people he loved most.

To look inside, click here.

‘A powerful, redemptive story and one of forgiveness’ — Mihingarangi Forbes, RNZ’s Saturday Morning

‘Evokes such a deep sense of sorrow I went off and had a little cry’ — Linda Herrick, NZ Listener

‘A memorable, plain-speaking book of dogged research’ — Sally Blundell, ReadingRoom