Dad is Fat

Before he became a father, Jim Gaffigan was content with the solitary, nocturnal life of a stand-up comedian. Growing up in a large Irish-Catholic family had not prepared him to imagine raising children of his own, but after marrying Jeannie, he found himself the father of five young children—and dramatically outnumbered at home. In Dad Is Fat, Gaffigan turns the mistakes, victories, and daily upheavals of family life into comic reflections on parenting. He explores everything from middle-of-the-night diaper changes and the struggle to get children to sleep to cousins, big-family traditions, and the curious logic of growing up with many siblings.

The book expands on the observations that first drew a large audience to his social-media posts, offering more room for the joys and horrors that short messages could not capture. Through stories of domestic chaos and exhausted improvisation, Gaffigan presents fatherhood as a demanding, hilarious adjustment for a comedian who never expected to live it.