The Fathers
The Fathers by John Niven is a contemporary literary work published by Canongate Books on July 17, 2025. This edition spans 368 pages and is presented in English. The narrative unfolds in a bustling maternity ward, where first-time father Dan encounters Jada, a man welcoming his sixth child. Despite sharing the same city of Glasgow, their lives are starkly different, with Dan enjoying a successful career as a TV writer and Jada navigating the challenges of a small-time criminal lifestyle.
Readers will find a story that explores the ambitions ignited by fatherhood, as Dan contemplates leaving his television success behind to pursue his long-held dream of writing a novel. In contrast, Jada sees the birth of his son as a chance to execute one final scheme to improve his circumstances. The plot thickens when an unforeseen tragedy intertwines their lives, leading to a convergence that threatens both their futures. The book delves into themes of ambition and the complexities of fatherhood within the framework of contemporary life.
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FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF O BROTHER
In a busy maternity ward, first-time father Dan meets Jada, a dad welcoming his fifth – no, sixth? – child into the world. Dan and Jada come from very different places: both called Glasgow. Dan is a successful TV writer with a townhouse in the West End and a shiny Tesla ready to drive his wife and baby home. Jada is a hustling, small-time criminal who is already planning how to separate Dan from some of the luxuries Jada has never been able to enjoy in his tiny flat in a Brutalist sixties council block.
Both men find that the birth of their sons has fired their ambitions. Dan plans to walk away from his saccharine TV success and finally knuckle down to writing that novel he always felt he had in him. While, for Jada, it’s the opportunity for one last get-rich-quick scheme – ripping off a local airport. When a tragedy occurs, their worlds are brought closer than either could ever have imagined – close enough that it could mean destruction for both of them . . .
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