Dr. Meg Meeker, the author of “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters,” believes her father to be a powerful influence in her life. She has come to the conclusion that a father is not only an important force in his daughter’s life, but also he shapes her life because through her own medical practice she has seen many teens in trouble.
This book continues to make the case that a strong, supportive father is essential for a girl to develop into a self-assured, socially adept, and content adult. The presence of a strong father in a girl’s life serves as a surefire barrier against social failure, misery, drug and alcohol abuse, academic failure, eating disorders, and teen pregnancy while also acting as a spark plug for a fulfilling emotional life, fruitful romantic relationships, good personal hygiene, and academic success.
The author uses the second person, “you,” to address the fathers and informs them that they, the fathers, are the only ones who can provide the necessary support by defending their daughters and putting themselves in their daughters’ path when external threats are present. The bond between a father and daughter is almost holy, and in the chapter “Teach Her Who God Is,” the writer says, “You are forced to face a spiritual reality when you gaze upon your sleeping daughter. You could feel the awesomeness of her life from the moment she was born, the fact that it was mysterious and transcendent, and that she was greater than you and your spouse. Man can joke about whether God exists with his friends and coworkers. But when a father sees his daughter, he understands.”
An introduction, afterword, acknowledgements, bibliography, notes, and index are included in the book’s ten chapters. The chapters in the book are:
* You Are the Most Important Man in Her Life
* She Needs a Hero
* You Are Her First Love
* Teach Her Humility
* Protect Her, Defend Her
* Pragmatism and Grit: Two of Your Greatest Assets
* Be the Man You Want Her to Marry
* Teach Her Who God Is
* Teach Her to Fight
* Keep Her Connected
Dr. Meg Meeker, the author,, practices pediatric and adolescent medicine and counsels teens and parents. She is a Mount St. Massachusetts’ Holyoke College and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a fellow of The Medical Institute’s National Advisory Board Her goal is to enhance the general health and welfare of teenagers. On nationally syndicated radio and television programs, Dr. Meeker discusses issues pertaining to teenagers. In addition to contributing to The Complete Book of Baby and Child Care (Tyndale House Publishers), Dr. Meeker also writes for Physician Magazine. She resides and works in Traverse City, Michigan.
“Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters” is in hardcover with 267 pages and ISBN: 1596980125.
After finishing this book, I experienced what Dr. Meeker’s efforts are in support of, not opposition to, the feminist goal. Her goal is to raise self-assured, content women, and while at times her views may come across as conservative, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want that.
