That the child in question — her name is of no importance — is dearly loved comes through often enough, especially when Bhattacharya describes an approach to parenting that involves taking breaks from beer and a cigarette to help her with tennis or the odd homework assignment involving adjectives. At such times, his writing is almost pleasurable. ‘How much longer?’ he asks, elsewhere. ‘How much longer do I have with this?’

Dad’s the Word: The Perils and Pleasures of Fatherhood, Soumya Bhattacharya, Westland, Rs 225