Pops

Learning to Be a Son and a Father

By: Craig Melvin

Narrated by: Craig Melvin

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

A deeply personal exploration of fatherhood, addiction, and resiliency from Craig Melvin, news anchor of NBC’s Today show.

For Craig Melvin, this book is more an investigation than a memoir. It's an opportunity to better understand his father; to interrogate his family's legacy of addiction and despair but also transformation and redemption; and to explore the challenges facing all dads - including Craig himself, a father of two young children.

Growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, Craig had a fraught relationship with his father. Lawrence Melvin was a distant, often absent parent due to his drinking as well as his job working the graveyard shift at a postal facility. Watching sports and tinkering on Lawrence's beloved (but unreliable) 1973 Pontiac LeMans were two ways father and son connected, but as Lawrence's drinking spiraled out of control, their bond was stretched to the breaking point. Fortunately, Craig had a loving, fiercely protective mother who held the family together. He also had a series of surrogate father figures in his life - uncles, teachers, workplace mentors - who by their examples helped him figure out the kind of person and father he wanted to be.

Pops is the story of all these men - and of the inspiring fathers Craig has met reporting his "Dads Got This Series" on the Today show. Pops is also the story of Craig and Lawrence Melvin's long journey to reconciliation and understanding, and of how all these experiences and encounters have informed Craig's understanding of his own role as a dad.

©2021 Craig Melvin (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

Anchor Shares All

I watch Craig Melvin everyday on Todsy and thoroughly enjoyed his Dad's Got It series. to learn of his heartache growing up with an alcoholic father was surprising. I value greatly that he vowed not to be his Pops and used his talents for a positive and productive life. His story gave me a better appreciation of my own father who grew up in the shadow of an alcoholic father.

Great story and Narration

I loved the story and the manner that it was written. Thank you, Craig Melvin, for sharing this story about your Pop. Being a parent isn't easy especially in this circumstance. God Bless!

Review of Pops

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I have always liked to watch Craig on the Today show but this lets you see him on another level. It lets you understand the man behind the cameras. Thanks Craig for sharing your story.

Great book

Really enjoyed this glimpse into Craig's life. Having grown up with an alcoholic father and now being a dad myself I really appreciated his perspective.

How I was fortunate enough to get past the Elephant in the room‼️

I like the fact that Melvin’s mother was the Rock in his family that brought him through his most turbulent crisis and his family provided emotional stability.

Beautiful story

I downloaded this book when it first came out and I watched an interview on TV of Craig Melvin. I forgot about this story and just recently decided to listen. It is such a special story. I brought me to tears several times though the story. It is so much more than just a story of father son relationships. It is a story of resilience and the value of love in a family. It talks about many struggles that are faced in life. Things like living , dying, and finding ways to cope with and overcome life challenges. I am grateful for the loving open sharing from Craig Melvin.

Loved every minute

Not sure I can put into words how excellent this book is.

Entertaining from beginning to end.

Funny, sad, poignant, wise, truth!!! Listen to it, one and all.

Straight From The Heart

This book is the awesome result of pandemic downtime. (What downtime? He was on air every day.) Too bad we all didn't use our time this wisely.

This is such a wonderful story with every emotion intertwined. Childhood memories morphing into the issues many of us face as adults, but never disclose. Very relatable in many aspects, including but not limited to the L-O-N-G days at church. 😂

Well done Mr. Melvin and thank you. I love your story.

Outstanding real heart felt compelling

Outstanding first novel memoir. His heart felt descriptions of his father’s struggles are insightful realistic and spot on.
I enjoy everything and recommend it to everyone!

You Should Read This Book

Craig’s story telling is engaging and a captures the humorous, hopeful, and gut wrenching essence of family, parenthood, and growing up in the south.