Father and Son: A Memoir

National Book Critics Circle Award winner Raban’s (Bad Land) candid memoir begins with his hospitalization following a hemorrhagic stroke in 2011. Raban’s narrative traces two storylines. The first describes his extended stay in a rehabilitation center as he relearned basic tasks and attempted to regain the life he lost. The second story is an eloquent history of his parents’ early married life during World War II. It’s drawn from letters and journals kept during the soldiering years of his father, Peter. Raban addresses his father’s complicated legacy, reflecting on this man of faith who was also antisemitic, and considering how Peter came to terms with his own last days. Peter died in 1996, whereas the author died at the age of 80 in January 2023, and this book was published posthumously. James Langton narrates, sensitively communicating Raban’s reflections as he recovered from his stroke and providing a measured account of his father’s wartime correspondence. While the book intertwines the lives of father and son, it does not tie up loose ends. Audiobook listeners will find another kind of closure, however, as Raban—the consummate travel writer—winds down his personal journey with humor and honesty.