Books for helping father know best

For all the dads being feted today, dozens of new books provide

male-tailored diversion.

Especially timely is Frank and John Schaeffer’s “Keeping Faith: A

Father-Son Story About Love and the United States Marine Corps.”

Written in alternating voices by 18-year-old John and his novelist

dad, the memoir is a riveting take on one family’s affiliation with

the military. From dealing with worry and separation to sorting out

issues of class, duty and patriotism, there’s much to absorb about

transitioning from high school to boot camp in this moving chronicle.

Military service may have given the late Chick O’Neill a sense of

determination, but it was support for his youngest son’s dream that

gave baseball one of its most intense players. To express

appreciation for his father’s devotion, Yankee favorite Paul O’Neill

penned “Me and My Dad.” Unlike most sports memoirs, this one plays

more on the heart than the field, with sentimental recollections on

family bonds grounded in a love for sports.

Somewhat more conflicted was Sherwin Nuland’s relationship with

his father, a struggling Jewish immigrant who battled poverty,

tragedy and illness in a land where opportunity seemed elusive.

Recounted in “Lost in America,” Nuland’s story tells of his volatile

father’s harsh life in the Bronx, where he faced the death of his

wife and first child, and the near-fatal illness of another son.

For expectant dads, OB/GYN Glade Curtis teamed with Judith Schuler

to write “Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be.” With tips on

everything from ways to support a pregnant partner to the financial

realities of parenthood, this is a useful compendium for men

embarking on the nine-month journey leading up to fatherhood.

Those entrenched in the ranks may enjoy new fiction from old

favorites. Likely to appeal to all with an interest in taming of the

West is Larry McMurtry’s “The Wandering Hill,” the second volume in a

projected four-part series. In interactions with historical

characters the likes of Kit Carson and Jim Bridger, the aristocratic

Berrybender clan face hardships of the mountain man era in the newest

McMurtry saga.

Dad will need all his wits about him to follow the complexities of

“The Sinister Pig,” the latest gem from Tony Hillerman. In the

sixteenth installment starring Navajo cops Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee,

the mystery master melds first-rate detective work, comic romance,

tribal custom and desert atmosphere in a plot launched by the

mysterious shooting of a CIA agent. When the coals are cooled and the

ties are set aside, this saga about drugs, greed and power is sure to

keep the man of the house engaged.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams in collaboration with

Susie Lamb. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers

by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org.