Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father – A Powerful Memoir of Addiction, Alcoholism, and Reconciliation

by Craig Melvin

A “deeply personal, heartwarming” exploration of fatherhood, addiction, and resiliency from the award–winning news anchor of NBC’s Today show (Shondaland).Growing up in Columbia, South Carolina, Craig Melvin had a fraught relationship with his father. A hard-drinking man who worked the graveyard shift at a postal facility, Lawrence Melvin was a distant parent. Craig found ways of connecting with his father through sports and tinkering with his beloved 1973 Pontiac LeMans. 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. For Craig, this book is an opportunity to better understand his father; to interrogate his family’s legacy of addiction and despair as well as transformation and redemption; and to explore the challenges facing all dads—including Craig himself, a father of two young children.

Genres: Autobiography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Parenting, Biography

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2021

Reviews

[Kathy Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our SC Hero - Craig Melvin

This book gave me more than I expected...I laughed and I cried! I have been watching Craig Melvin since he was at WIS and did the Craig Cam. I even remember the one he talked about in the book. I watch him everyday now. It helps to know other people have the same problems that you have. I enjoyed reading this book so much and will give it as a gift to others! Great job Craig!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to review memoirs because it feels as though you are judging the author and their life choices. That's not the case here. Melvin has written a thoughtful and impactful book that looks not only at his own family but at others as well. His father was an alcoholic and addict who has struggled mightily over the years. He also was the impetus for Melvin to change the narrative for his future. I liked that he wraps in life in South Carolina n the 80s and 90s and that he credits his mother, an incredible woman, for doing all she could for him and his brothers. He was lucky, he knows, to have had other men step in to provide more solid role models. The transition to understanding and appreciating his father could not have been as easy as Melvin makes it appear but all credit to hm for doing the hard work. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. An excellent read.

[Ashton Morgan Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book, and it was a pretty easy read. The writing was just ok, in my opinion.

[Reba Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories of local folks who’ve found national acclaim always interest me. And if they’re in the world of journalism or politics even more so. That’s part of the reason I picked up Craig Melvin’s book, "Pops," on a recent trip to the Richland Library. While I don’t know Craig personally, we’ve got enough mutual friends that I feel a little kinship with his story.

While this book focuses on Craig's path to the Today show set, it’s more than just his professional story. This book explores his journey to understand and accept an unaccountable father who battled alcoholism and who wasn’t very present in Craig’s growing up years. The timing of the book lines up with Craig’s own journey as a father to his young children, Delano and Sybil.

Craig’s storytelling skills from years in television translate nicely to the page with a writing style that’s conversational and descriptive without sugarcoating the challenges his family faced. He deftly balances facing down the demons he dealt with around his father with celebrating the strong women and extended family who surrounded and guided him growing up.

The local references to Columbia landmarks along with his descriptions of his Washington years at the NBC affiliate all resonated strongly with me because of my overlapping path … not to mention it was fun to see the role old friends from WIS played in Craig’s career path.

This book is the convergence of an intensely personal story with a larger examination of addiction, redemption and forgiveness. And I imagine the book is also a personal gift to Craig’s children as they get older to understand and accept their family’s story.

[Brian Cluster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig Melvin, host of the Today Show, writes an autobiographical story focused mostly about the relationship between him and his father. His father being an alcoholic for all of the author's childhood and most of his adult life so far really challenged the family and made it difficult growing up.

Craig Melvin shares some stories and lessons about his life with his brothers, his mom, and his father. Some of the stories of alcoholism and gambling are simply very sad and dark. He even describes how Craig Melvin pulled together the family to do an intervention to help save his father from further harm from alcohol and get him treatment.

After the treatment, the father never relapses and turns his life around in many ways. Craig leaves us with some very encouraging moments and word at the end which made the book 4.5 stars in my opinion.

A great read for fathers.

All the best-- Brian

[Debra K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book of fatherhood; the difficult times, angry times, the keep trying times, and never giving up times. Through sharing his story of his relationship with his father, Craig opens the readers eyes to so much, looking beyond the now, accepting and forgiving. Remaining resilient in the midst of storms and years of challenges. His insights were thought-provoking coaxing the reader to open up and give a chance where perhaps a chance does not seem likely or warranted. In spite of so many difficult times with his dad, he could and did readily acknowledge many positive attributes of his father's efforts. It made me think back... to the whys some things may have happened in families. I enjoyed the addition of many of his 'dad's got this' stories also! Inspiring and tender.
Congratulations Craig Melvin! Nice Job!

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won an Uncorrected Proof of Pops: Learning to be a Son and a Father by Craig Melvin from Goodreads.

Pops: Learning to be a Son and a Father by Craig Melvin is an amazing story with a surprising hero. Readers are both moved and inspired by Melvin's candid narrative of growing up with an alcoholic father and his relationships with other individuals, especially his mother, who guided him to become the man he is today. With a clear, unflinching voice and brutal honesty, Melvin shares the low points of his life and how his amazing mother set the greatest example of how to love. I can't wait to share this book with my 93 year old mother-in-law who already is a fan of this Today Show co-anchor. Readers of all ages will smile, cry, and hug their loved ones while reading Pops.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent autobiography of the relationship between one of the cast of THE TODAY SHOW and his alcoholic, gambling addicted father. Lovingly, and in a non-judgmental way, Craig Melvin opens up and helps his father open up about the harm that his father's habits have inflicted on his children's lives and how his mother always held the family together. This book is about joy and sorrow, tragedies and successes, but mostly it is about how a man who is a father loves his own father so much that he finally tries succeeds to eliminate the distance between him and his parent. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll rejoice! I devoured the book in about 2 days!
[Read the excellent summary on Goodreads.]

[Kelley Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Today Show co host Craig Melvin hits the heart hard in his captivating story. Life lessons, second chances and what we all will do in the name of love are explored throughout the book. He delves into the rocky relationship with his father pretty candidly. I was quite engrossed seeing this side of Mr. Melvin. He talks lovingly of the people who mentored him along the way. His love for his family shines through. Forgiveness plays a huge part here as well. Life is a series of hills and valleys, raw human emotion is written on practically every page. There is something for everyone between the pages . Thank you kindly for the advance copy. All opinions are my own. #PopsLearningToBeASonAndAFather #NetGalley.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see Craig Melvin every day on the Today Show. When I heard that he had written a book about the struggle his dad had had with alcoholism, I was intrigued. I love to read stories about people who beat addiction. When I consequently saw it in my local library, I checked it out. I was a little disappointed that his dad didn't seem to take center stage in the book, but it was instead a story just as much about Craig and his extended family. There is mainly only one chapter at the end that really focuses in on how his dad gained control of his addiction. I also had some minor problems with the writing. Obviously Craig is a journalist, not a writer. Still, overall I liked the book. I had a nice warm feeling at the end of it. I feel like I really got to know Craig and his family.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very moving, personal memoir of Craig and his father’s journey to reconciliation and understanding, and how those experiences have influenced Craig’s own journey as a father. Although challenges occurred as Craig was growing up, the impact of the book is inspiring for both fathers and sons who hope to move past childhood and young adult disagreements, even fundamental ones, and move toward better relationships with their parent. As the news anchor of NBC News’s Today show, he has a visible presence in the national media limelight, so his message resonates with many who have struggled to reconcile past negative experiences with a parent/or parents.

[MaryAnn Cirino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Craig Melvin did an incredible job of capturing his families personal struggles as well as individual members across generations. His respect for all his family members despite their impact on his life were nonjudgmental and he positioned it as how it impacted the interactions and events in his life. It's a book where you can laugh and cry and want to hug each member that he spoke about. It was honest and at times gut wrenching but in the end I felt a new respect for Craig Melvin both as a person and as a Professional.

[Patty Eckhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about Craig’s life and his family’s history. I believe the book is more about him than his father. For any child of an alcoholic or addict, this book is for you! Craig and his siblings found a way to love their father both drunk and sober. So many tragedies but yet so much love in this family. Craig found a way to be the father he never had but yet he still honors his own father. True love and the reason Craig is one of the good guys. The women who helped raise him did a fantastic job!

[Anne S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect much from this book. Another celebrity writing a memoir. But I couldn't stop reading it. The book was an honest and moving look at the relationship between Craig Melvin and his father. Although the author's father was an alcoholic, you could tell that he was a decent person.
The book also talks about some of the bad choices the author himself made. He gives credit for his successes to other men in his life. He also shared some of the sad times in his own family as well as other dads he's met as a journalist.

[Austin Dane · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a man and watch the Today Show often. I think Craig is a guys guy but of course the ladies like him too. He didn’t have to write this about his dad, most of us would leave those skeletons in the closet. I doubt he did it for the money, maybe he did it as self therapy but I also like to think he did it to share with the world that even those who on top of their field and look perfect are human just like the rest of us. He definitely elevated his persona with this project and not a lame children’s book

[Steph Carr (LiteraryHypeWoman) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, this is a good one. Craig is pretty dang real about the struggles his family faced, from his dad's birth behind bars to alcoholism, gambling addiction, cancer... the works. Here shares about the lessons he's learned about fatherhood from the previous generations, which are beautiful and raw.

There are a few places I felt got bogged down with too much detail or slightly off topic, but overall, it's a solid read.

[Pamelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transparency without shame

Love Craig’s ability to be transparent to write and share of issue that not only haunted his family but so many others. So much I much of his childhood experience I was can certainly attest. And yes when learn and accept that alcoholism is a disease that has an ugly hold of our love ones we let go of the past and Forgive! And the latter days of my much beloved Daddy was the best days❣️

[Madlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

His life story from childhood to an adulthood shows his resiliency to push through the tribulations within the precise nature of an everyday working class citizen and who continues to achieve his goals, love, family and a steady income. He is living out his dream. Being a husband and father was hard for him, but, overall he seemed to have managed through life without severe mental damage. Lucky for Craig he didn’t come from a drug invested environment.

[Naomi Helen Yaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book while listening to it on Audible. As a longtime viewer of the Today Show, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Craig had authored a book, a fact I learned from Al Roker, who praised Craig's ability to eloquently capture the essence of family dynamics. (After Prince Harry's Spare was released.) Despite the challenging relationship with his alcoholic father, Craig's writing about him is devoid of bitterness or resentment.

[Jason Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an outstanding book! I was watching The Today Show last week when it was mentioned. Craig did an excellent job describing his family's struggles and how he has work hard not to replicate his father's parenting issues. The stories told of his and other families were well written and very thought provoking.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know what I expected, but this was much much better.

“Learning to be a son and a father” may be in the title, but Melvin goes so much deeper than that. I really felt I got to know his whole family, including the strong female influences in his life growing up and the male ones too.

[Loretta Alcala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book since I could relate to the topic of having a father that was an alcoholic. Craig gives his father the compassion needed. The co text also drove home the context of the alcoholic having an illness.

[Nicole J · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Craig being a friend of my brothers. I felt connected to the story. It was an impactful read. My family has a history of addiction and I completely understand how that can impact relationships. Wonderful book!!

[Joe Mossa · Rating 2 out of 5]

He never discusses the difficulties his inter racial children will have as they go through life. He repeats his stories about his alcoholic father so often it becomes redundant . He has a scratchy voice which he never discusses. I enjoy watching him on tv.

[Raúl Armenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gran libro para los que son padres de familia y quieren entenderse como eso, pero también como hijos. Aunque es una biografía de una figura pública que nos pueda parecer lejana por ser de Estados Unidos, el autor se muestra como una persona más, que es lo que hace el libro recomendable.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Barb Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved learning about Craig’s childhood. He comes from a long line of string people who have endured lots of struggles. Great read and I recommend it!

[Elizabeth Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of the relationship between Craig and his father as well as his father's relationship with his 2 other sons.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

11/10! Story of growing up in a family with an alcoholic father, told with generosity, humor and realism. Endearing and genuine!

[Jessica_loves_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great listen as it is read by the Today Show anchor. This book gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own relationship with my father.