The Dark Dad: War and Trauma — A Daughter's Tale
Author(s): Mary Kisler
NZ Biography & Memoir | Kete Winter Reading Guide
The damage done to a family by war.
Art historian Mary Kisler grew up in the early 1950s with a father who talked little, whose affection she cherished and whose anger she feared. She later came to understand the trauma that lay behind his dark moods: rejection and violence in his childhood and the brutal experience of being a prisoner of war in Italy and then Germany from late 1941 to 1945.
In this affecting memoir, she traces back through her father’s life and war record, discovering a man who had suffered but who ultimately found peace of mind among the people he loved most.
General Information
- :
- : Massey University
- : Massey University
- : 01 April 2025
- : books
Other Specifications
- : Mary Kisler
More About The Product
‘A powerful, redemptive story and one of forgiveness’ — Mihingarangi Forbes, RNZ’s Saturday Morning
‘Evokes such a deep sense of sorrow I went off and had a little cry’ — Linda Herrick, NZ Listener
‘A memorable, plain-speaking book of dogged research’ — Sally Blundell, ReadingRoom
Mary Kisler MNZM worked for 21 years at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, latterly as Senior Curator, Mackelvie Collection, International Art.
