Not My Father's Son
A Family Memoir
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Narrated by:
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Alan Cumming
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By:
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Alan Cumming
About this listen
Alan Cumming grew up in the grip of a man who held his family hostage, someone who meted out violence with a frightening ease, who waged a silent war with himself that sometimes spilled over onto everyone around him. That man was Alan's father, Alex Cumming.
Alex was the dark, enigmatic heart of Cumming family life. But he was not the only mystery. Alan's maternal grandfather, Tommy Darling, had disappeared to the Far East after the Second World War. The last time Alan's mother saw her father she was eight years old. When she was 13, the family was informed that he had died in an accidental shooting.
Curious to explore this second mystery, Alan committed to filming an episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? Then out of the blue, his father, who Alan and his brother had not seen or spoken to for more than a decade, called. He had a secret he had to share, one that would shock his son to his very core and set in motion a journey that would change Alan's life forever.
At times suspenseful, at times deeply moving, but always brave and honest, Not My Father's Son is a powerful story about embracing the best aspects of the past and triumphantly pushing the darkness aside.
©2014 Alan Cumming (P)2014 Canongate Books LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
Critic reviews
"What a shattering, compelling and extraordinary story Alan Cumming has to tell. And he does so with such style and grace . . . Beautifully and cunningly structured, Not My Father's Son is one of the most memorable, heart-stopping autobiographies I have ever read." (Stephen Fry)
"Do you know the old line "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me"? Alan Cumming's moving memoir Not My Father's Son is all that and more. This is a beautiful book-sad, funny, haunting, surprising, suspenseful, gut-wrenching, endearing. It will linger inside of you long after you turn the final page." (Harlan Coben, author of New York Times bestsellers Missing You and Six Years)
"In beautiful, honest, arresting prose, he offers a tale you'll never forget. A real diamond of a book." (Andrew O'Hagan)
"A clear-eyed, often moving account of both his terrifying childhood and his recent attempts to come to terms with his past [. . .] Not My Father's Son moves elegantly and with an occasional dash of humour between Cumming's childhood and the revelations of the more recent past [. . .] memorable." ( Chicago Tribune)
"One of the most fun people in show business" ( Time)
"Cumming's eccentric style and assured voice shine brightly on every page, while escorting readers and fans on a memorable journey that is simultaneously insightful, brave, moving, and witty." ( Book List)
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- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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A missing schoolgirl is found buried in the Dublin Mountains, hands clasped together in prayer, two red ribbons in her hair. Twenty-four hours later, a second schoolgirl is found in a shallow grave - her body identically arranged. The hunt for the killer is on. The police call in criminal psychologist Kate Pearson to get inside the mind of the murderer before he strikes again. But the more Kate discovers about the killings, the more it all feels terrifyingly familiar.
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A true psychological thriller
- By BARBARA WAGONER on 12-24-16
By: Louise Phillips
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Spare
- By: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Narrated by: Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on.
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Gutterball!
- By Jimmyjoejangles on 01-10-23
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Modern Loss
- Candid Conversation About Grief. Beginners Welcome.
- By: Rebecca Soffer, Gabrielle Birkner
- Narrated by: Meredith Mitchell, Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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At a time when we mourn public figures and national tragedies with hashtags, where intimate posts about loss go viral and we receive automated birthday reminders for dead friends, it's clear we are navigating new terrain without a road map. Let's face it: Most of us have always had a difficult time talking about death and sharing our grief. We're awkward and uncertain; we avoid, ignore, or even deny feelings of sadness; we offer platitudes; we send sympathy bouquets whittled out of fruit.
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Not What I Was Expecting
- By Bessie Mae on 03-01-23
By: Rebecca Soffer, and others
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Shadow of a Century
- By: Jean Grainger
- Narrated by: Alana Kerr Collins
- Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Mary Doyle arrives in Dublin in 1913, doomed, she fears, to a life of domestic service. Instead, however, she finds herself deeply affected by the social and political turmoil of a fledgling nation struggling for independence. Suddenly, all that was once inevitable is no longer a certainty as she is embroiled in the very heart of the Easter Rising.
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Loved this book!
- By Amazon Customer on 11-14-20
By: Jean Grainger
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Rare Bird
- A Memoir of Loss and Love
- By: Anna Whiston-Donaldson
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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On an ordinary September day, 12-year-old Jack is swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with the awful questions: How could God let this happen? Can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace. In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother's story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope.
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Warning! Tears
- By Madge on 08-16-15
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Flesh Wounds
- By: Richard Glover
- Narrated by: Richard Glover
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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A mother who invented her past, a father who was often absent, a son who wondered if this could really be his family...Richard Glover's favourite dinner-party game is called 'Who's Got the Weirdest Parents?' It's a game he always thinks he'll win. There was his mother, a deluded snob who made up large swathes of her past and who ran away with Richard's English teacher, a Tolkien devotee, nudist and stuffed toy collector.
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Such a Meaningful Reflection
- By Awarenessing on 11-28-15
By: Richard Glover
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The Heart's Invisible Furies
- A Novel
- By: John Boyne
- Narrated by: Stephen Hogan
- Length: 21 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Cyril Avery is not a real Avery - or at least that's what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn't a real Avery, then who is he? Born out of wedlock to a teenage girl cast out from her rural Irish community and adopted by a well-to-do if eccentric Dublin couple via the intervention of a hunchbacked Redemptorist nun, Cyril is adrift in the world, anchored only tenuously by his heartfelt friendship with the infinitely more glamourous and dangerous Julian Woodbead.
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Outstanding. A Must listen.
- By Keith G on 09-04-17
By: John Boyne
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What Fresh Lunacy Is This?
- The Authorised Biography of Oliver Reed
- By: Robert Sellers
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Oliver Reed may not have been Britain's biggest film star - for a period in the early 70s he came within a hairsbreadth of replacing Sean Connery as James Bond - but he is an august member of that small band of people, like George Best and Eric Morecambe, who transcended their chosen medium, became too big for it even, and grew into cultural icons. For the first time Reed's close family has agreed to collaborate on a project about the man himself.
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Ollie!
- By GK on 12-28-14
By: Robert Sellers
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How Did All This Happen?
- By: John Bishop
- Narrated by: John Bishop
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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If you're a man of a certain age you'll know there comes a point in life when getting a sports car and over-analysing your contribution to society sounds like a really good idea. With a good job in sales and marketing and a nice house in Manchester that he shared with his wife and kids, John Bishop was no different when he turned the dreaded 4-0. But instead of spanking a load of cash on a car that would have made him look like a senior stylist at Vidal Sassoon, he stumbled onto a pathway that ultimately lead him to become one of the nation's best loved comedians.
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Heartwarming and Funny
- By Nancy Burnett on 12-01-22
By: John Bishop
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A Journal for Jordan (Movie Tie-In)
- A Story of Love and Honor
- By: Dana Canedy
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin, Mirron Willis
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In 2005, Dana Canedy’s fiancé, First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, began to write what would become a 200-page journal for his son in case he did not make it home from the war in Iraq. He was killed by a roadside bomb on October 14, 2006. His son, Jordan, was seven months old. Inspired by his example, Dana was determined to preserve his memory for their son. A Journal for Jordan is a mother’s fiercely honest letter to her child about the parent he lost before he could even speak. It is also a father’s advice and prayers for the son he will never know.
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SAD
- By valerie on 12-12-21
By: Dana Canedy
What listeners say about Not My Father's Son
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Michael
- 03-26-24
Beautiful
The first few chapters are off putting. I thought here we go, tragiic native followed by hard work and success. Standard script of celebrities. I did not need the dark chapters that would follow but I stuck with it.
Brilliant, moving, real and I truly love this production. I have been very lucky never to experience anything like Mr Cummins has but he is brilliant telling the story. I thank him for sharing his life. I wish I could get to know him more but that is not to be.
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- Libby
- 09-17-15
Enjoyable
I really enjoyed this book. Alan's voice is very easy to listen to and as I didn't know much about his life, I was surprised at each new chapter. I only really knew him from The Good Wife
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- Sally
- 02-12-17
Wonderful
A wonderful moving book that navigates the pain of abuse and the joy of love, life and family. I have loved Alan Cumming as a character actor I now love him as a person. A beautiful book.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-27-17
This book is honest and touching
This books explains abuse and the effects of abuse in the most honest way. It sheds light on the dark places. It exposes and reveal the unspoken in the most beautiful and strangely caring way. The scariest thing about abuse is the silence that follows. It's the silence that makes it commonplace and acceptable. Allan Cumming is a courageous man
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- Jessie E Taylor
- 06-04-15
Loved it
Fantastic story, beautifully written and read by the man himself. Only criticism I would make is that it feels a bit like a narration of an episode of who do you think you are but of course there are added dimensions. Really enjoyed this book and the insight into such an interesting person.
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- Quang
- 07-17-16
A really great book, from start to finish
What a heartfelt story. Mary Darling - such a beautiful beautiful name. Thank you Alan.
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- Robyn
- 12-14-15
Something in this book for everyone
This is a book for anyone who has grown up with an abusive parent, anyone who loves a mystery, all those researching their family history, and everyone who has despaired and found the way back or is still looking for the way back. And for anyone who just likes a well-written entertaining read, with tears and laughter along the way. Congratulations to Alan Cumming for so openly documenting the milestones in his life, from his harrowing childhood to his eventual discovery of what is best left in his past and what he can take into the future. The story is beautifully told, the ‘then’ and ‘now’ format perfect for unfolding the inevitably converging dramas, introducing new facts as they come to light in the ‘now’ chapters, all the while maintaining the tension in the build up to the denouement. The book is all the better for being narrated by the author who conveys all the emotions associated with the story, and his soft Scots accent is delightful. Thanks, Alan, I suspect a lot of readers will be inspired by your story.
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- ML
- 07-03-15
Very inspiring and moving
This book is brave, difficult and inspiring. The difficulty lies in the experiences described and the powerlessness experienced. The bravery and inspiration arises from Alan Cummings responses in coming to terms with this trauma. This is a book worth reading.
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