[.ca] Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl?: The Impact of ... (ISBN 0345434838)

From Amazon.com:
Passionate and provocative, Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl? explores the impact of fatherlessness on black women from a thoughtful and highly personal perspective. A woman who has herself "lost" three fathers, Jonetta Rose Barras interweaves her own experience of the "fatherless woman syndrome" with those of other fatherless black women, observations by psychologists and sociologists, and research findings. Barras concludes that factors such as the shift to a service economy, the "gender war of the 1970s through the 1990s," and affirmative action and quota policies caused black men to be "kicked to the curbside." Consequently, many black men began to perceive themselves as superfluous to their families, and by 1996, 60 percent of all black children were living in fatherless homes. While some attention has been given to the impact of fatherlessness upon sons, Barras notes that very little has been paid to the effect on daughters. She powerfully shows the seriousness of this oversight, arguing that fatherless daughters often believe themselves unworthy and unlovable; strongly fear abandonment, rejection, and commitment; possess strong aversions to intimacy or, conversely, act promiscuously; overcompensate in work and relationships or oversaturate with food, alcohol, sex, or drugs; and experience extreme anger, rage, and/or depression. Barras offers suggestions to begin the healing process (on several fronts, for she is concerned too with the related issues of daughterless fathers and broken maternal trust). Perhaps one of the most important means of healing (both individually and societally) is the conversation Barras opens with this significant work. --Stephanie Wickersham

anti-feminist, overstated claptrap......from a sista!:
This is another example of what happens when good articles are extended into poor booklength works. The author's mother said the author's father forced her through a glass window once and yet the author blames her mother and all women with a backbone on fatherlessness in Black America. Daniel Moynihan's 1965 report on the Black family has been attacked by African-American thinkers of both genders, yet Barras hardly sees a problem with it. This book does nothing but blame women for being victims. Like all conservative rants, it blames feminists, rather than sexism for the problems that women have. This could have been an exciting, thoughtful book; instead, the author speaks in hyperbole and sees no problem with being ridiculously one-sided. Further, she's a journalist, not an academic or an author. Thus, not only should the book be seen as amateur, but it's written in an allegorical style that I found silly. This book should not be embraced by the African-American community. As a pro-feminist brotha, I can't understand why a sista would created this misogynistic tool to harm Black single mothers and womanists throughout the nation.

Wonderful Read:
I bought this book a few months ago, but finally took the time to read it yesterday. This woman is on to something. The insights she gives to those of us who grew up without fathers, and thought it was perfectly normal--only to find out in the real world, we were limping along in life-are life changing. My dad died when I was 11 months old. When I would ask about him, I got no answers. Combine that with a bitter and scared mother and you have a chronic overachiever who has lost touch with the true spirit of femininity. This is the kind of stuff that breeds mistrust between us and men, and competition amongst women. Ladies, we must commit ourselves to healing. God is the only true healer, and he's been telling us through his word, that this kind of hurt can be healed.

Thank You Jonetta:
I would like to say what a joy and a healing it has been for me reading "Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl" (The Impact of Fatherlessness on Black Women) by Jonetta Rose Barras. I have read it but constantly go back to it since I finished it. This book has literally captured my insecurities, made me admit to them, look deep into myself about where they came from, and encouraged me to know that can come from it all and be a complete woman. I would encourage anyone to read it, even if you grew up with your father, because we need to know how to edify our sisters and provide that understanding for that siter that may not have had it as well as you have. I'm already thinking about starting a group in my church for women my age, who may be going through these situations and suffering silently because they feel no one understands. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I think i have said enough. GOD BLESS

Thank You Jonetta:
I would like to re-iterate what a joy and a healing it has been for me reading "Whatever Happened to Daddy's Little Girl" by Jonetta Rose Barras. This book has literally captured my insecurities, made me admit to them, look deep into myself about where they came from, and encouraged me to know that I can come from it all and be a complete woman. I would like to encourage anyone to read it, even if you grew up with your father, because we need to know how to edify our sisters and provide that understanding for that sister that may not have had it as well as you have. I'm already thinking about starting a group in my church for women my age, who may be going through these situations and suffering silently because they feel no one understands. Anyway, I could go on and on, but I have said enough. GOD BLESS, Tamara

I Never Thought...:
I didn't give as much thought as I should have about growing up without a father or reliable father figure. Yet while reading this book, I saw many of my realities on the pages. Regardless of a societies cultural practices, every adult and child has a role to play and when it is compromised or ignored, the social structure falters. That's what Barras was talking about. Every fatherless woman won't have the same experiences, but most must admit that their view of the world is markedly different from women who grew up with positive influences from both parents regardless of their marital status. Clearly some of us adapt better than others, but Barras's theory has merrit.