The Firstborn: A Reflection on Fatherhood

by Laurie Lee

An intimate and lyrical consideration of what it means to be a father

This moment of meeting seemed to be a birth-time for both of us; her first and my second life. Nothing, I knew, would be the same again . . .

Full of warmth and candor, this essay composed on the occasion of his daughter’s birth is one of Laurie Lee’s most delightful and inspiring works. From the moment Jessy is born, “purple and dented like a bruised plum,” to the first time his kiss quiets her cries, Lee describes the joys and responsibilities of new fatherhood with a poet’s precision and boundless capacity for wonder.

Genres: Essays

35 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Laurence Edward Alan "Laurie" Lee, MBE, was an English poet, novelist, and screenwriter. His most famous work was an autobiographical trilogy which consisted of Cider with Rosie (1959), As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (1969) and A Moment of War (1991). While the first volume famously recounts his childhood in the idyllic Slad Valley, the second deals with his leaving home for London and his first visit to Spain in 1934, and the third with his return in December 1937 to join the Republican International Brigade.

Reviews

[Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apart from some rather sexist remarks, a very good collection of essays on taking up the role as parents that screams Laurie Lee.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful essay. A very thoughtful gift for first time parents

[Stephen Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous short story from a beautiful poet.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Lee captures the evanescent in these lovely meditations on his daughter.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most touching piece of prose/narrative I have ever read. Beautiful.