All the Colors Came Out: A Father, a Daughter, and a Lifetime of Lessons

Description

Growing up, Kate Fagan and her father forged their relationship on the basketball court. They were an inseparable pair, two kindred spirits bonded together by sweaty high fives, and an unflappable dedication to the New York Knicks. But as Kate grew older and life added complications to both her love of sport and her role as a daughter, they drifted apart -relying on a yearly pair of matching sneakers to remind each other of their connection. When Christopher, Kate's 6'5" athletic father, was diagnosed with ALS they embarked on a new, entirely uncharted chapter of their relationship. Kate took on the role of full-time caregiver, watching over her father like he had done for her, until his eventual assisted death. And yet while enduring the painful experience of witnessing her idol's rapid deterioration, Kate reconnected with her father to find an even deeper, more meaningful relationship. At its heart, this is a love story between Kate and her dad, the lessons learned, and, ultimately, how his debilitating disease made her reconsider their powerful relationship, along with her own life choices. A perfect meeting of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and RUNNING HOME, UNTITLED MEMOIR is written for the women who found their dad on the court, track, pitch, or field. It is an ode to the unbreakable bond between father and daughter and the invaluable understanding they share.

Kate Fagan is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of WHAT MADE MADDY RUN, as well as the coming-of-age memoir THE REAPPEARING ACT. She spent seven years as a columnist and feature writer for espnW, ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine. She was also a regular panelist on ESPN's Around the Horn and host of Outside the Lines. Previously, Fagan spent three seasons covering the 76ers for the Philadelphia Inquirer. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her wife Kathryn Budig and their two dogs.

"I really related personally to this book, and I feel that for a lot of women who grew up playing sports and ended up being gay, it [reflects] this special relationship that you have with your dad, where sport becomes an important point of connection."--Megan Rapinoe, Vogue "A heartfelt meditation on what matters." --The Boston Globe summer reading feature "Fagan has done a remarkable service to her father by telling the story of his life with such generosity and to her fellow caregivers by candidly describing the circumstances under which that life came to an end." --The Washington Post "All the Colors Came Out is one of those books that will make you cry on one page and feel like you've learned something to improve your life on the next."--Joyce Bassett, Albany Times Union "The author's singular talent for relating her internal struggles and growth shines in this exquisite tribute to her father and family, and to the game of basketball."--Library Journal (starred review) "Like many women in my field, I inherited my love for sports from my dad, and the parallels between our bond and the one Fagan recounts here jumped off the page. But All the Colors Came Out isn't just about fathers and daughters--it's about the ways in which human connection shapes identity, and how those ties can be quietly frayed, and then, in the face of devastating adversity, repaired. It's a story of heartbreak and healing, and one that will sit with me for a long time." --Mina Kimes, Senior Writer at ESPN and co-host of NFL Live "Once again, in a story of pain and loss, Kate Fagan manages to find beauty and humanity and write a book that teaches us a great deal about our own lives." --Ryan Holiday, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Daily Stoic and the Daily Stoic podcast "This book. I read it straight through, barely moving until the last word on the last page. Here is a deeply affecting story about a father and daughter, human failings and human forgiveness, and finding an unflinching heart when you need it most. It is written with such love and honesty you won't soon forget it." --Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Book of Longings "This is a book about basketball, yes, and fandom and home, and about fathers and daughters, to be sure--about all parents and children, really--but most of all it is a story about the fierce and redemptive power of love."--Wright Thompson, author of Pappyland "While the world screams for our attention, Kate Fagan arrives, quietly hands us All The Colors Came Out, and we remember what matters. Fagan is an artist, so I knew this book would be brilliant. What I didn't expect was her gut wrenching and soul cleansing honesty about the complications and confusions of familial love. I finished feeling understood, less alone, and committed to being braver with my own father. This book will help heal relationships and hearts. All the Colors Came Out is a love story for the ages." --Glennon Doyle, author of the #1 Bestseller Untamed and the founder of Together Rising