Priestdaddy
Synopsis: A memoir of growing up in the midwest in the 1980’s and beyond. Patricia Lockwood grew up with a gun-toting, guitar-riffing, frequently semi-naked father who underwent a religious conversion on a submarine. His conversion first led him to the Lutheran Church, and finally to Roman Catholicism. He discovered a loophole which saw him approved for the Catholic priesthood by the future Pope Benedict XVI, despite already having a wife and five children. At age 30, due to a medical setback, Patricia and her husband move back in with her parents. This memoir is a reckoning of this distinctly unusual experience of having a Catholic priest for a father/Father.
Nicholette’s Review I’m a devoted listener to the New York Times Book Review podcast. One of the editors raved about this book so often, I finally had to read it myself. This book was on many “Ten Best” lists for 2017, so I had high expectations. On the surface, it is just a very funny account of a peculiar childhood, but of course it is more than that. I was not familiar with Lockwood before this memoir, but she is a known poet and essayist, and she does have a way with words! She creates such vivid unexpected images in your brain. In spite of the humorous approach, there are also some serious topics that are grappled with. One of the main characters is the Catholic Church, after all, so its not all just absurd comedy. If I have a criticism, it’s that the descriptions of people and events are so uniformly absurd and cartoonish, it reads more like fiction than memoir. Maybe that’s a true depiction of her life. but it detracted from an authentic feeling. I think that people probably would either love this book, or hate it. If you are a devout Catholic who believes that the church and priests can do no wrong, this is probably not the book for you. Rating: 4/5
Corey’s Review: I’ve been looking forward to my mom’s review on this book ever since she got it during our Christmas Eve book swap! This book sounds so ridiculous, I need to check it out for myself. Who knew you could be married with children and still become a priest?! I can only imagine the stories- this will be added to my list!
Menu: What would be more fitting to accompany a memoir of growing up with a priest for a father than a spaghetti dinner? The spaghetti dinner is a staple in most Catholic Church communities and I participated in more than a few at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in my youth! We didn’t serve meatballs, to my recollection, but I love meatballs. Rating: 5/5
Ingredients:
2 pounds meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, veal and pork)
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/4 cup seasoned dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
For the sauce:
1 chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1) Place the ground meats, both breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and 3/4 cup water or milk in a bowl. Combine, and form 2 inch meatballs (makes 14-16).
2) Put equal parts vegetable oil and olive oil in a large deep skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch and brown the meatballs. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Discard the oil.
3) Heat a little fresh olive oil in the pan and sauce onion over medium heat until soft, 5-10 minutes. Add garlic for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat for about 3 minutes to deglaze the pan.
4) Stir in tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.
5) Return the meatballs to the sauce. cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
6) Serve on hot cooked spaghetti, amen.
