Alan Cumming

In “Not My Father’s Son” actor Alan Cumming tells two stories; one about his father and one about his maternal grandfather. Cumming grew up in the Scottish highlands of Panmure where he was terrorized by his unpredictable and violent father. There's a horrific passage about his father holding him down and shaving his head with a rusty old razor, like he was an animal being shorn. In spite of his mother's love and support, Cumming writes, “there is not one memory from our childhoods show more that is not clouded by fear of humiliation or pain.”

After appearing in Hamlet, Cumming found himself in a state of depression over his own inability to confront his father about their relationship. The stories he tells about his violet and unstable father are just heartbreaking. The second story stems from his appearance on “Who Do You Think You Are?” where he goes on a search for what happened to his maternal grandfather, Tommy Darling, who was accidentally killed in Malaya five years after World War 2.

The actor excels at describing his relationship with his father in a raw edged and painful way. While it's very sad, I believe it could also give hope to those who struggle with overcoming a difficult childhood. This story is testament to people everywhere that your past may shape you, but it certainly doesn't have to define you. show less

The audiobook, read by Alan Cumming, is the best way to experience this memoir. I don’t read a lot of celebrity memoirs, so I don’t have a lot to compare this to, but it was not what I was expecting. As Cumming says in the acknowledgments, it’s not a “my wonderful celebrity life” type of memoir, or a spilling the tea type of memoir, but a frank look at Cumming’s childhood physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father and the ways it affected his life into adulthood. But show more it’s also not a poor pitiful me type of memoir, because Cumming turned out to be a happy, even joyful, and ultimately apparently well-adjusted adult. So it’s a memoir about how one can survive abuse and learn how to deal with it in healthy ways. show less

I like Alan Cumming. I don’t really follow his work but whenever I do catch him on screen, I’m never disappointed. When Audible had a big BOGO sale, I added this to my cart on a whim. I barely read the synopsis. I’m a sucker for memoirs read by the authors – especially if they’re a celebrity of some kind. In “Not My Father’s Son” Cumming revisits his childhood at the hands of his volatile, abusive father while filming a show that explores his family’s genealogy. And nothing show more could have prepared me for all that he would uncover and face on a personal level.

The book is many things: heartbreaking, brutal, bittersweet. Cumming encounters some pretty staggering bombshells regarding his family members that often stopped me in my tracks while I was multi-tasking. It’s amazing the kinds of stories we feel are better left ignored or forgotten.

I adored Cumming’s voice and performance – he’s an engaging storyteller and performer. After finishing this book, I quickly added other books narrated by Cumming to my Audible wishlist. This is absolutely a memoir worth listening to. show less

Not My Father's Son isn't a typical celebrity tell-all. Instead, Alan Cumming uses his appearance on the genealogical reality show Who Do You Think You Are? as a hook around which to explore his family history: both the mysterious death of his maternal grandfather in 1950s Malaysia, which the show investigated, and his off-camera grapplings with the fall-out of a childhood spent in fear of an abusive and rage-filled father. Cumming is admirably clear-eyed, honest without being self-pitying show more or maudlin, and shows a remarkable ability to turn lemons into lemonade. show less