About Your Father: A Look Inside the Rowe Home

Peggy Rowe does it again! Mike Rowe’s mother who rose to fame when her son decided to share her text messages and notes to his million-strong Facebook followers, which then prompted her to create her own FB page, which garnered her own set of loyal followers whom she lovingly calls her LFBF (Little Facebook Friends), has written her second LOL book. Not only is it rollicking fun and a joy to read, it also stays true to the formula that made her first book a smashing good read–short vignettes where she finds humor in her day-to-day routines like watching her husband “flirt” with the friendly Costco sample handlers or her humorous take on what should otherwise be a somber paying-of-respects for their dearly departed friends at funeral homes.

What makes her writing so vivid is her predominant use of similes in her descriptions. To illustrate just how worn out John’s shoes were, she writes:

“Those ‘good shoes ‘ had soles that flapped like sheets on a clothesline in a windstorm.”

– Peggy Rowe

She also lets her imagination (and yours!) go wild as some of her stories take you to the point where you think she’s about to launch into the gory details of geriatric Tantric escapades [gasp!], only to have her do a quick right-turn where the story concludes with something totally innocent [whew!].

“Do you have the stuff?” John asked me as I got in bed.

“Of course,” I said. “You do me first.”

“Uh-uh. You know how you are; you get too steamy. You do me first.”

“All right, but you’d better not fall asleep,” I warned him. I love to hear his groans of ecstasy as I do my thing.

– excerpt from “About Your Father” by Peggy Rowe

I won’t tell you how THAT ends, but it may be wise to read the book yourself!

The book gives us an inside peek into the entire Rowe household where her mom, Mike’s grandma makes cameo appearances, and cousin Nancy (she of cock-painting fame) is mentioned as well. She talks about raising her sons, and recounts some of her own childhood memories which may not always have John as the star of the scene. One cannot help but think that they live such a charmed life–one that is filled with laughter and mirth and gaiety. But of course, that may not always be the case as we can see how John’s “thrifty nature” has led to his waste-not, want-not attitude from turning off the lights in the house as soon as he gets home to using a woodstove to (inadequately) heat the house which caused icicles to form in one of his son’s nose hairs. Though it was probably not a good experience at that time for all involved, on hindsight, the ability to see the humor in all this makes their story as lighthearted as can be.

John Rowe with his trusty iPad capturing the crowd at Mike’s book event in Baltimore (2019)

Peggy Rowe’s writings are popular, I believe, because her stories are relatable. After all, the characters in her stories may remind you of your own grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, that old-fashioned auntie, or that curmudgeon of an uncle.

Though the title pays homage to John Rowe, the book is really about their family; and in letting us take a peek into their life, we inadvertently become part of theirs, too–a good investment if you are planning a third book about more Rowe adventures.

Now, if only someone knows someone who can get me an advanced reader’s copy of future books in the pipeline… 😉

For the Editors: In reading the Large Print version of the book, there may be a typo on page 219 where “Santa Claus” is spelled with the “e”. It doesn’t seem like the sentence is in reference to the Tim Allen movie.