Our timing is a bit off, but we have a joint review we want to post next Monday, so…Happy early Father’s Day! And since we did a post highlighting books with memorable moms, it is only right that we create similar list of books with notable fathers! We both have great husbands who we’ve seen turn into great dads over the last year, so we’re excited for this theme. Again, however, our list will include memorable father figures, so some may be good while other…not.
Book: “Emma” by Jane Austen
I’m in the middle of my reviews for this book for my “Year with Jane Austen” re-read, and it’s really reminding me how much of a figure Mr. Woodhouse, Emma’s father, plays in the story. (Plus, I featured Mrs. Bennett from “Pride and Prejudice” in the last post, and what’s a good list without some shoe-horned Jane Austen book wedged in??) But Mr. Woodhouse is truly a great father figure. While he’s eccentric and needy, it’s also clear that he loves Emma more than anything. Emma herself declares early in the book that there’s not a wife alive who has a better position in her own than she does with her father. And even in the end, Emma is prepared to put her own marriage with Mr. Knightley on hold indefinitely because she knows that her father needs her more. But, luckily for all, Mr. Knightley decides to move in with them instead, making for a nice, little happy ending for all!
Book/Series: “Kate Daniels” series by Illona Andrews
I can’t spoil the series for you, but I will say that the Kate Daniels series does include a fairly notable father who plays an important role in the series. He doesn’t actually show up for several books in, but he’s referenced pretty often and only grows in importance as the series progresses. This is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, and it’s also complete, which is another bonus for anyone looking for something to jump into without needing to worry about being strung along by prolonged publishing schedules. Kate Daniels starts out as your fairly typical, badass urban fantasy heroine. But she goes through several evolutions throughout the series and is a completely different character, in many ways, by the end of the series. It also features a romance, of course, but luckily that never takes over the story or overshadows Kate’s on compelling journey.
Book: “The Shining” by Stephen King
And now time for some not great examples of fatherhood: Jack Torrance. The book is pretty different than the famous movie featuring Jack Nicholson, but it’s also the same in as far as the father’s role goes. After taking a remote job as a winter caretaker for an old hotel, Jack and his family soon begin to feel just how isolated they truly are. And what once felt like a beautiful retreat, suddenly begins to feel like something more. Each, in their own way, will be touched by the powers growing around the Overlook Hotel. But Jack especially doesn’t handle things well and won’t be winning any “father of the year” awards any time soon. But he’s definitely notable, and one of the most famous fathers in literature.
Book: “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy
We’re going to be staying in a darker place for this book, but unlike Jack, the father in “The Road” is a man who protects his son at all costs in the wake of an unspecified extinction event. After the world has turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a man and his son are trying to make their way South in hopes of finding safety. Along the way they face harsh conditions, cannibals, violence, and a tragic past. “The Road” is not for the faint of heart, as the bleakness and disturbing imagery is all encompassing. But the relationship between father and son is deep and incredibly emotional as a man tries to keep his son safe on their journey. Definitely bring a box of tissues with you to this book. Just because Oprah picked it for her book club, that doesn’t mean it’s going to go easy on you. But the love a father has for his son is a constant shining light.
Book: “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
While it’s true that the longevity of “To Kill A Mockingbird” may not be as long as we used to think in terms of how it approaches racism, one theme that still holds true is fatherhood. Atticus Finch is the single father to precocious Scout and serious Jem, and he instills patience, hard work, and tolerance into his two children. He tries to shield them from the ills of the world, but is also realistic enough that when he needs to have hard talks with his kids he is game to do so. And while he is a bit of a white savior when it comes to the African American community in the book, one aspect that still holds up is how he encourages understanding when it comes to recluse neighbor Boo Radley. Plus, raising two children on his own as a working widower during the Great Depression was never going to be easy. but Atticus does it, and raises two empathetic and curious individuals. Truly a simple but powerful depiction of fatherhood.
Book: “The Hate U Give”
While this book mostly centers on teenage girl turned activist Starr Carter, she is shaped and supported by her two parents, especially her father Maverick. When Starr witnesses a policeman shoot her unarmed friend Khalil, she is traumatized, and then begins to speak out more and more about what she saw, even when people on multiple fronts want to silence her. Maverick supports Starr in whatever she wants to do, and has also become a supportive and well respected member of his community through his own activism and role as an organizer. He not only supports the children he has with his wife, but the son he had when he was a younger man and making not very good choices. Maverick is driven and filled with pride for all of his children, and instills them with pride in their Black identities and their neighborhood. But he always prioritizes his children and their safety, especially and tensions surrounding the murder and his daughter begin to roil.
Who are some of your favorite fathers from literature? Let us know in the comments!
The Library Ladies 