Not My Father's Son: A Memoir

Summary

*Read by Alan Cumming himself*

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In his unique and engaging voice, the acclaimed actor of stage and screen shares the emotional story of his complicated relationship with his father and the deeply buried family secrets that shaped his life and career.

A beloved star of stage, television, and film—“one of the most fun people in show business” (Time magazine)—Alan Cumming is a successful artist whose diversity and fearlessness is unparalleled. His success masks a painful childhood growing up under the heavy rule of an emotionally and physically abusive father—a relationship that tormented him long into adulthood.

When television producers in the UK approached him to appear on a popular celebrity genealogy show in 2010, Alan enthusiastically agreed. He hoped the show would solve a family mystery involving his maternal grandfather, a celebrated WWII hero who disappeared in the Far East. But as the truth of his family ancestors revealed itself, Alan learned far more than he bargained for about himself, his past, and his own father.

With ribald humor, wit, and incredible insight, Alan seamlessly moves back and forth in time, integrating stories from his childhood in Scotland, his experiences today as a film, television, and theater star, and the shocking revelations uncovered while investigating his family’s past. Equal parts memoir, family mystery, and tale of resilience, Not My Father’s Son is at times suspenseful, deeply moving, and wickedly funny—sure to make readers laugh even as it breaks their hearts.