Set in a British public school, C. J. Driver's Death of Fathers is an unflinching exploration of the often painful contradictions to be found in male relationships.

Nigel Westcott is the son of a distinguished and arrogant father, a man both fiercely demanding of and indifferent to his son. But to Galer Detheridge, Nigel's teacher and himself the son of a notable father, Nigel is special; he thinks he understands better than anyone what Nigel needs from a teacher.

But as the story develops, and we grow intimately familiar with the characters and their families, it becomes apparent that Galer cannot help Nigel, or, indeed, himself.