SON OF MY FATHER By Tosin Olukuade

This book was given to me as a gift by the author - Tosin Olukuade. I was so elated when he told me he was going to post a copy of his book to me. I looked forward to reading it as soon as it was delivered, but work schedule and preparation for school resumption got in the way.

Having gotten those out of the way, I decided to read this book and it was a humbling experience flipping through each page and filled with awe at how blessed the author is to have a father as his. I think I sensed the burden Tosin must have felt trying his best to fit his dad's larger than life description into a 83 page book. After reading it, I make bold to say his Dad is living a life worthy of emulation.

It was his dad's dream to one day write a book about himself and he shared this with his son Tosin who took it upon himself to fulfil his father's desire. Amazing and noble are words that comes to mind in trying to describe how incredible it is for a son to do his best to see that his dad's dream comes to reality.
Over this past weekend, I watched some interviews Micheal Jackson granted during his lifetime and a common occurrence in all of these interviews were details of how he was physically and emotionally abused by his dad. He recanted these details with pain in his heart. That realisation that a famous man like him had a traumatic childhood was saddening. So it was refreshing and heart warming that in this era of dead beat dads, someone can write a whole book about the awesomeness of his dad.


This book comprises of ten chapters, eight of which were dedicated to attributes associated with the author's Dad, one chapter dedicated to his mum and one for the author - where he described the influence his dad had on him and their unique Father and son relationship.

In the first chapter titled His Fatherhood, Tosin starts this book by giving a few definitions of a Father and these ones stood out for me

One who performs the office of a parent by maintenance, affectionate care, counsel or protection

A father goes beyond giving birth to a child only.

Fatherhood, a state of being a father is a lifelong responsibility

These definitions ought to be written in bold letters and handed to men all over the world. I have come across a lot of dead beat dad who should just be called sperm donors and the sad reality is that they demand the type of respect accorded to men like Tosin's dad when they clearly do not deserve it.
The author's dad is a man of the robe and at no point did he forsake his immediate family because of his role in the church and I think that is how it should be - family first.

Tosin gave in clear details an incident that happened when he was young. He was involved in an accident, his dad was in a middle of a meeting while it happened and as soon as his dad heard, he asked to be excused and rushed to be by his Son's side. If I had read that part before the advent of social media, I would have said - kini big deal? Is that not how a father should behave? Social media has however, revealed a lot to us about some men's perceptions about their roles as a father and to most dads, it is a big deal.

The author also wrote about his dad's faith and I must say I found that chapter very touching. He spoke about his mum's battle with asthma, vivid details about himself and his siblings battle with ailments and how his dad was able to cope with all of them through prayers and faith. His siblings and himself are all well and doing great.
The author described his dad as an hospitable and loving man who opened his home to all and sundry in a loving manner. The author attributed that to his dad's deep understanding and knowledge of the Bible.
I have heard elders talk about good names and I must say the chapter titled the good name in this book was enlightening.
A good name is better than expensive perfume and the day you die is better than the day you're born.
The statement above lends credence to the fact that we all as humans should live a fulfilled and purposeful life so that our deaths can be celebrated.
In this chapter, Tosin wrote about branding in relation to a good name while connecting these two with a verse in the bible. That was insightful. He also wrote about a heart warming experience he had with an old student of his dad.

The author also wrote about his dad's love, humanity, Bishoprick, the awesome relationship between his dad and mum, Himself and his dad. The last chapter were beautiful tributes from people across the world to his dad. One word that was repeated across all the tributes was the fatherly love he showed to all these people who were not even his biological children and that is awesome.

The second to the last chapter titled His Word, His Son. I sensed the pride the author must have felt as he penned down words of gratitude and prayers to the man he proudly calls father. He also wrote about the impact his father's life has had on him and his siblings over the years.

He ends the chapter with this proud statement - My name is OLUWATOSIN OLUBAYODE OLUKUADE and I am the son of my father.

I recommend this book to everyone and most especially to men who desire to have a positive impact and influence on their children. This book will inspire you to live a life worthy of emulation.

Hearty Cheers to Tosin's Dad and other awesome Dads around the world. You all are doing great and doing your part towards making this world a better place!!!