PriestdaddyPriestdaddy
Score Modern
What it's about
Patricia Lockwood's father is a Catholic priest: a married former Lutheran minister who converted and was granted special permission, and who plays electric guitar in his underwear. After a financial crisis, Patricia and her husband move back into the rectory with her parents, and she writes about her strange, very funny family, her religious childhood, and the darker things beneath.
Why it's worth reading
The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's hilarious, poetic and serious about faith and abuse.
You'll love it if you liked
Educated: A Memoir
Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
The Glass CastleGood to know
It's full of crude jokes. It discusses sexual assault, suicidal thoughts and abuse in the Church.
By the numbers
- Readers17 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #256 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #1246 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2290 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
More by Patricia Lockwood
If you like this, read next
Between the World and Me
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
When Breath Becomes Air
The Passage of Power
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North KoreaExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Priestdaddy worth reading?
Yes. The Guardian named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #2,290 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Priestdaddy about?
Patricia Lockwood's father is a Catholic priest: a married former Lutheran minister who converted and was granted special permission, and who plays electric guitar in his underwear. After a financial crisis, Patricia and her husband move back into the rectory with her parents, and she writes about her strange, very funny family, her religious childhood, and the darker things beneath.
How long does it take to read Priestdaddy?
About 8 hours (336 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Priestdaddy?
If you liked it, try Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson or The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.