Father figure from "summary" of The Liars' Club by Mary Karr

In my tumultuous childhood, a father figure was as elusive as a mirage in the desert. My actual father, a man with a volatile temper and a penchant for disappearing into the oblivion of his own vices, was hardly a pillar of stability. He was a ghostly presence, haunting the periphery of my consciousness with his unpredictable rages and sudden absences. In his absence, other men stepped in to fill the void. Some were well-meaning neighbors or family friends, who tried their best to offer guidance and support in the absence of a reliable father figure. But their efforts always fell short, unable to truly replace the gaping hole left by my father's abandonment. Other father figures were more sinister, lurking in the shadows of my childhood like wolves in sheep's clothing. They preyed on my vulnerability, seeking to exploit my need for guidance and love for their own twisted purposes. These men left scars that would take years to heal, if they ever did. But despite the absence of a true father figure in my life, I learned to find solace in other sources of strength. My mother, with her fierce love and unwavering devotion, became my rock in a sea of chaos. She was both mother and father to me, filling the void left by my father's neglect with her own brand of fierce, unyielding love. And so, in the absence of a traditional father figure, I learned to forge my own path. I sought out mentors and role models who could offer me the guidance and support that my father never could. Through their wisdom and kindness, I slowly began to heal the wounds left by my father's absence, finding a sense of belonging and purpose that had eluded me for so long.

The Liars' Club

Mary Karr

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