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In Book Takes, authors share three things that readers will gain from their books as well as giving an insight into what they learnt during the researching and writing. This weekend, Maxwell Mkoki talks about Behind You, Dad.
Born in Zimbabwe and resident in New Zealand since 2005, Maxwell Mkoki wrote Behind You, Dad as a kind of extended letter to his son based on conversations the two had. It has been compared with the US bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.
“The inspiration to write the book was a desire to build relationships between parents and their children, to share my experiences as a father and as an immigrant…”
Once Mkoki finished the draft manuscript, the fulltime global studies student headed home to Zimbabwe to spend time with his own father in Shurugwi, a rural town about 350km south of the capital Harare. He told NZ Booklovers that spending time listening to his dad talk about family history was a reversal of his life in NZ.
Here, Mkori shares three things readers will discover from Behind You, Dad, as well as something he learned in writing it.
More than a conversation between father and son
The reader will discover practical tips that are easy to apply to various life challenges, and management tools that are also useful in work settings. The book is more than just a conversation between a father and his son. It has many themes presented in a way that elicits the reader to reflect on their life, sometimes soliciting a second or third read on the same pages.
As one reader said, ‘What I have found out reading the book is that you cannot just rush through the pages, I find myself not wanting to move from a certain page because of the wholesomeness of the content written there.’
I have received similar comments to that which I think I should let the reader know beforehand. The book cannot be finished overnight or in a couple of days, but it will be worth it when one completes reading. Another person commented, ‘There is an openness that pushes or encourages one to dive deep into their life and learn more about themselves.’ Based on these comments, there is more discovery in the pages than already said.
Statistics can be compelling
Statistics, when presented effectively, can be compelling and enlightening. The media often uses statistics in headlines for clickbait, while institutions use them to influence behavioural change.
When I completed the manuscript and handed it to my editor, there was a chapter with some compelling statistics that she found unsatisfactory. To make matters worse, I had misplaced the references, and she threatened to remove the entire section unless I found the source and referenced it. A lot of effort went into writing those sections. I had to search through all my folders until I found them, for without them, my message would have been less impactful. Eventually, I found the references, and the book included the sections. I believe the reader will find those statistics and the accompanying message as enlightening as they were to me.
For example, I used marriage and divorce statistics to show the challenges of finding a new life partner after divorce and how the chances of subsequent marriage survival diminish with every divorce. I was emphasising the need to maintain and nurture relationships.
Lab rat
While gathering practical data, people’s perceptions, and their views on issues I was passionate about, I became the lab rat, the subject of my study. I used the unfiltered responses I got in real-time as the basis for some topics. I would call this part of the research anecdotal evidence data collection suitable for my writing.
Also, the conversations with my son were actual conversations we constantly engaged in. I changed some characters’ names and kept some. One of the characters, JB, was thrilled to read a conversation that had taken place some years back in his office and his dad referenced.
In the one year leading up to writing Behind You, Dad, I had an 18-hour workday, so my body faculties had to work harmoniously for a year to achieve the feat. It’s not something I would recommend to anyone who is driving between locations. The body requires enough rest to function productively and efficiently!
What I learned
The desire to achieve a goal is more potent than any self-limiting thoughts, beliefs or doubts if one sets their mind to it. I had no prior training when I decided to write my book, but I wanted to have a book under my name worth reading by another person.
Once one begins to write and exerts enough effort, I think the “universe will conspire” to help you complete your book, but effort is required. Social life or other life patterns are something that can be easily set aside for a period until a goal is achieved.
I wrote the book during the Covid-19 pandemic, and my routine never varied much during this time. Each night, I targeted 500-1000 words, and most of the time, I managed to reach my target, but some days were challenging. I told myself not to be stressed by the writing process but to enjoy it.
I became more aware of myself within the milieu and how I saw the world. I began to pay attention to things that seemed obvious but not prominent: political, economic, social and power dynamics. I evaluated who I was as an individual, my positionality, and how I could contribute using my experiences connected to global issues like migration and immigration. The result of the reflection led me to the global studies that I am undertaking at the University of Auckland, majoring in international relations and business.
Behind You, Dad by Maxwell Mkoki, (Castle Publishing, $28) is out now.
