Insightful, lyrical…Little and Often proves to be a rich tale of self-discovery and reconciliation. Resonating with Robert Pirsig’s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it is a profound father-and-son odyssey that discovers the importance of the beauty of imperfection and small triumphs that make extraordinary happen.” — USA Today (four stars)
“The woodworking is rich and beyond impressive, but Preszler’s humble soul work is utterly transcendent. Courageous. Genuine. Cathartic. Will restore your faith in forgiveness. Will make you believe in grace.” — Matthew Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Reason You’re Alive
“An impressive memoir, and a richly rendered tale. I thought (with relish) that I was getting a book about wood and tools, but the canoe built herein is merely the vessel carrying the buoyant narrative about a father and son, a mother and sister, love, hard work, wine, boats and a dog. I may have grown misty at one point.” — Nick Offerman, actor and New York Times bestselling author
"Sometimes a writer goes on a journey in order to write a book. More rarely, a writer writes a book in order to go on a journey. Little and Often belongs to that latter category of memoir, built from the inside out. In Trent Preszler's hands, we are smoothed, soothed, and made anew as he peels back layer after layer of his grief and loss until there is only love and forgiveness. This is an unforgettable story of a father's final, life-altering gift to his son." — Dani Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author of Inheritance
“Trent Preszler’s beautiful, compelling memoir tells of his struggle that spans a divided country and family alike. The writing is simple and elegant, harkening back to great American writers such as John Williams and Willa Cather. The expanse between South Dakota, New York City, and finally the North Fork of Long Island is enormous for a young gay man struggling with his father’s legacy. It’s a tenderly wrought tale of coming to terms with our past that will resonate no matter who you are.” — Isaac Mizrahi, fashion designer and host of Project Runway
"Woodworking meets bridge-building, and sorrow meets understanding in this impeccably written, loving memoir." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Little and Often is a beautiful memoir of grief, love, the shattered bond between a father and son, and the resurrection of a broken heart. Trent Preszler tells his story with the same level of art and craftsmanship that he brings to his boat making, and he reminds us of creativity’s power to transform and heal our lives. This is a powerful and deeply moving book. I won’t soon forget it.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
"Masterful. With Little and Often, Trent Preszler gives us not only a memoir of sons and fathers, acceptance and reconciliation, but also a stirring meditation on objects, their memories, and the complexities of inheritance. The prose is crystalline, and Preszler's voice is as sure as the steadiest canoe." — Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding and Honestly, We Meant Well
“Little and Often is a meditation on spiritual growth, nature’s magic, the love for family, regret, and the redemptive power of craftsmanship. I have the highest regard for Trent’s courage in writing this big and beautiful memoir. It’s a soulful and sometimes gut-wrenching story of the difficult relationships between fathers and sons. This gem couldn’t be more relevant to the times we live in today.” — Kevin O’Connor, host of ‘This Old House’ on PBS
“Ultimately it’s a tale as well crafted as the beautiful canoe.” — Booklist
“Little and Often is filled with joy." — Denver Post
"Sometimes a writer goes on a journey in order to write a book. More rarely, a writer writes a book in order to go on a journey. Little and Often belongs to that latter category of memoir, built from the inside out. In Trent Preszler's hands, we are smoothed, soothed, and made anew as he peels back layer after layer of his grief and loss until there is only love and forgiveness. This is an unforgettable story of a father's final, life-altering gift to his son."
Little and Often is a meditation on spiritual growth, nature’s magic, the love for family, regret, and the redemptive power of craftsmanship. I have the highest regard for Trent’s courage in writing this big and beautiful memoir. It’s a soulful and sometimes gut-wrenching story of the difficult relationships between fathers and sons. This gem couldn’t be more relevant to the times we live in today.
An impressive memoir, and a richly rendered tale. I thought (with relish) that I was getting a book about wood and tools, but the canoe built herein is merely the vessel carrying the buoyant narrative about a father and son, a mother and sister, love, hard work, wine, boats and a dog. I may have grown misty at one point.
Trent Preszler’s beautiful, compelling memoir tells of his struggle that spans a divided country and family alike. The writing is simple and elegant, harkening back to great American writers such as John Williams and Willa Cather. The expanse between South Dakota, New York City, and finally the North Fork of Long Island is enormous for a young gay man struggling with his father’s legacy. It’s a tenderly wrought tale of coming to terms with our past that will resonate no matter who you are.
Little and Often is a beautiful memoir of grief, love, the shattered bond between a father and son, and the resurrection of a broken heart. Trent Preszler tells his story with the same level of art and craftsmanship that he brings to his boat making, and he reminds us of creativity’s power to transform and heal our lives. This is a powerful and deeply moving book. I won’t soon forget it.
"Masterful. With Little and Often, Trent Preszler gives us not only a memoir of sons and fathers, acceptance and reconciliation, but also a stirring meditation on objects, their memories, and the complexities of inheritance. The prose is crystalline, and Preszler's voice is as sure as the steadiest canoe."
Insightful, lyrical…Little and Often proves to be a rich tale of self-discovery and reconciliation. Resonating with Robert Pirsig’s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, it is a profound father-and-son odyssey that discovers the importance of the beauty of imperfection and small triumphs that make extraordinary happen.
Ultimately it’s a tale as well crafted as the beautiful canoe.
The woodworking is rich and beyond impressive, but Preszler’s humble soul work is utterly transcendent. Courageous. Genuine. Cathartic. Will restore your faith in forgiveness. Will make you believe in grace.”
Ultimately it’s a tale as well crafted as the beautiful canoe.
Little and Often is filled with joy."
Little and Often is a meditation on spiritual growth, nature’s magic, the love for family, regret, and the redemptive power of craftsmanship. I have the highest regard for Trent’s courage in writing this big and beautiful memoir. It’s a soulful and sometimes gut-wrenching story of the difficult relationships between fathers and sons. This gem couldn’t be more relevant to the times we live in today.
11/01/2020
A former Law & Order writer/producer and No. 1 New York Times best-selling author, Carcaterra recalls Three Dreamers who shaped him: his loving Italian grandmother, his long-suffering mother, and his wife of three decades, whom he lost to cancer in 2013. After his wife's death, former Texas Monthly editor Curtis revisits Paris Without Her, recalling a place where they were both happy and giving us an intimate portrait of Tracy even as he learns to live again. Trapped with his climbing team on Mount Everest on April 25, 2015, when a major earthquake blocked their escape—and killed nearly 8,900 Nepalese—Davison explains in The Next Everest what it took to return and conquer the summit—and shows us how to conquer our own fears (60,000-copy first printing). In Live Free, Franklin—a New York Times best-selling author (The Success Commandments) and as a major producer one of Hollywood's most influential Black men—explains that the secret to happiness is dumping unrealistic expectations (150,000-copy first printing). Inspirational speaker and businessman Gardner, whose New York Times best-selling memoir The Pursuit of Happyness inspired the film of the same name (coincidentally coproduced by Franklin), gives everyone Permission To Dream by using a story about searching for a special harmonica with his granddaughter to impart the secrets of achieving a prosperous career (75,000-copy first printing). CEO of Bedell Cellars and the subject of an Emmy Award-winning short documentary, Preszler explains in Little and Often how he faced the death of his estranged Vietnam-vet, rodeo champion father (who had trouble excepting his gay son) by building a wooden boat with tools his father had left him.