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Fragments of a Decent Man
Paperback
Publisher: Christopher M. Parent
Published: May 1 2026
Pages: 246
Weight: 0.57
Height: 0.56 Width: 5.25 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
In Fragments of a Decent Man, Christopher Parent delivers 18 sharply observed, darkly funny, and emotionally resonant essays about trying-and often failing-to be a good man in a world that rarely rewards vulnerability. With deep dives into the absurdities of ordinary life-parenting, marriage, ambition, failure-this collection peers into the quiet corners of manhood where decency lives and struggles to survive.
Parent explores the loss of his father, the impact of being fired from a job, the sadness of seeing his daughter rejected from college, the complications of marriage, and lessons from running a Marathon and visiting a Belgian Trappist monastery. It's one author's take on how accepting life's overtures, which can be offered under the guise of roadblocks and challenges, shaped the portrait of a man who met decent people along the way.
The essays move through fatherhood, friendship, and grief with a voice that is open-hearted, self-aware, and frequently dry-witted. With moments of nostalgia and grit that echo The Tender Bar, it carries a consistent thread throughout: how do we live as whole men without apology or disguise?
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