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Never Had a Dad

Adventures in Fatherlessness

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Never Had a Dad

By: Georgie Codd
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About this listen

Fatherless, friendly 31yoF looking for intrepid M50s-70s who wants to try being a father figure (not sugar daddy).

Georgie Codd never had a dad. And she didn’t think that would ever change – until a stranger’s practical joke made her wonder if she could find one. So began her quest for a father figure, placing ‘dadverts’ in newspapers, magazines and corners of the internet she thought the fatherly might frequent.

Along with the conversations, meetings and the twists and turns of seeking family relationships with strangers comes a curious look at the societal, cultural and biological functions of fatherhood. What makes someone decide to have or not have a child? What is the experience for single parents, for queer communities, for people rejected by their birth family – or for those who do the rejecting? And why were so many ‘dads’ angling for something other than parenthood?

By turns brilliant and bonkers, hilarious and poignant, this is an unexpected story of the strange, intimate things we mean when we talk about family.

©2024 Georgie Codd (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers Art & Literature Customs & Traditions Diaries & Journals Fatherhood Journalists, Editors & Publishers Memoirs, Diaries & Correspondence Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences Funny Witty

Critic reviews

'A dating quest with a difference' The Times

'You think every book has been written … you think every idea has come out. And then you pick up a book like this … What a wonderful idea and what a wonderful project … Everybody needs to get hold of a copy of this book … brilliant' Jo Good, BBC Radio London

'[A] strange, touching but often very funny account of one woman's search for a father figure… Makes a commendable effort to try to pin down what it means to be a good father, even if defining it proves elusive' Constance Craig Smith, Daily Mail

‘Georgie’s the type of person who gets very creative when she tries to solve a problem’ This American Life

‘An almost spiritual mission … sharply drawn’ Times Literary Supplement

‘A lesson in not giving up, demonstrating that, as with all good adventure stories, the real benefit is in the searching’ The i

‘A terrific read’ BBC Radio Norfolk

All stars
Most relevant
Quite the intrepid adventure! Really well researched and considered. I laughed and gasped aloud throughout.

Thought provoking

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