annieb123's Review of Little and Often

by Trent Preszler

"Little and Often is a beautiful memoir of grief, love, the shattered bond between a father and son, and the resurrection of a broken heart. Trent Preszler tells his story with the same level of art and craftsmanship that he brings to his boat making, and he reminds us of creativity's power to transform and heal our lives. This is a powerful and deeply moving book. I won't soon forget it." -Elizabeth Gilbert

"An impressive memoir...I thought (with relish) that I was getting a book about wood and tools, but the canoe built herein is merely the vessel carrying the buoyant narrative about a father and son, a mother and sister, love, hard work, wine, boats and a dog. I may have grown misty at one point." -Nick Offerman, actor, comedian, and New York Times bestselling author of Paddle Your Own Canoe.

A moving, beautifully written memoir of grief and love, understanding and forgiveness, and the curative power of creativity, detailing how the author coped with the death of his estranged father by building a wooden boat with the tools he had inherited.

Trent Preszler thought he was living his best life in a seaside Long Island home and working as the C.E.O. of a winery. After fourteen years of silence, his estranged father called to say his cancer had worsened and he made an unusual request: would he return to South Dakota for Thanksgiving? Though Trent was uncertain, he went. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. In the months that followed, Trent tried not to let his father's death affect him, but the anger and disappointment, unresolved issues and things left unsaid overwhelmed him. Nearing forty, he was broken down, adrift, and alone.

His father was a Vietnam veteran, cattle rancher, and rodeo champion who had struggled to accept his son as a gay man. He had left Trent only one item: a toolbox, an inheritance that befuddled him. He wasn't the kind of man who worked with his hands, ever. But maybe that was the point. And with that came an epiphany: he would build something.

That something would be a wooden canoe, and he would complete it by the anniversary of his father's death. Little and Often captures the struggles and triumphs of one man's maddening and unpredictable journey of self-discovery and healing. As he learns the meditative rituals of woodworking, Preszler finds peace through a new life lived in communion with nature, and forgiveness through a newfound appreciation of the man who raised him.

"Little and Often is a meditation on spiritual growth, nature's magic, the love for family, regret, and the redemptive power of craftsmanship...It's a soulful and sometimes gut-wrenching story of the difficult relationships between fathers and sons. This gem couldn't be more relevant to the times we live in today." -Kevin O'Connor, author and TV host of the PBS series, This Old House

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Little and Often is an honest memoir that is as simple and simultaneously as complex as life. Due out 27th April 2021 from William Morrow/Harper Collins on their Custom House imprint, it's 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a deeply moving and personal memoir about family, grief, loss, honesty, and growth. The author has a clear and engaging voice and writes openly about difficult and painful periods in his own life. I found myself drawn into his story and I experienced some of the same with my own not-always-easy relationship with my own father.

The author uses an interwoven flashback type narrative to retell stories from his past alongside relevant important moments from his father's passing and his own adulthood and careers (he's also a vintner whose merlot was served at Barack Obama's 2013 inaugural luncheon; he picked up a doctorate along the way and has led an otherwise remarkable life).

Beautifully written and moving. I enjoyed it a lot. I recommend it to readers of memoir and personal stories. The author is erudite and fascinating. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Little and Often

by Trent Preszler

Reviewed by annieb123 on Apr 10, 2021

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