Father Figure

Jason Kirk is a thirty-two year old teacher who believes he is happily married until he returns home one day to find that his wife has left him, taking their two young children with her. Suddenly Jason finds the role of father denied to him as he is separated from his children and reduced to the role of visitor.

The law is weighted against him and his wife produces a series of excuses to withhold contact with Jake, eight, and Leah, three. Jason, who had wanted to bring his children up to maturity on a daily basis, not only has to face the pain of this loss but endures the misery of persecution by the Child Support Agency. He discovers he is not alone and that among his friends and colleagues, there are others enduring the same situation.

FATHER FIGURE is an enthralling, thought-provoking novel of modern fatherhood.

“A delight, a very polished read-- CATHOLIC HERALD”

[An] engaging novel ... Widdecombe captures well the sense of loss that Jason feels ... Widdecombe tells the story with rattling good pace and creates credible and sympathetic characters--OBSERVER
A delight, a very polished read--CATHOLIC HERALD
Authentic, distressing and unexpectedly touching--EVENING STANDARD
She writes powerfully about complex moral difficulties--THE TIMES
The admirably large cast of characters is well handled; their dilemmas are believable and the narrative makes for compulsive reading--THE TIMES
Widdecombe keeps your attention throughout. Her description of the children and their reaction to what is happening, much of which is bewildering to them, is excellently done--SUNDAY TIMES

Ann Widdecombe is best known as a former Member of Parliament and for her broadcasting and journalism, but long had ambitions to write novels. She is the author of four novels, and likes to write her novels on long train journeys and in Singapore, when visiting her Chinese nanny.

Jason Kirk is a thirty-two year old teacher who believes he is happily married until he returns home one day to find that his wife has left him, taking their two young children with her. Suddenly Jason finds the role of father denied to him as he is separated from his children and reduced to the role of visitor.The law is weighted against him and his wife produces a series of excuses to withhold contact with Jake, eight, and Leah, three. Jason, who had wanted to bring his children up to maturity on a daily basis, not only has to face the pain of this loss but endures the misery of persecution by the Child Support Agency. He discovers he is not alone and that among his friends and colleagues, there are others enduring the same situation.FATHER FIGURE is an enthralling, thought-provoking novel of modern fatherhood.

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