Fiction for Father's Day

In honor of Father's Day, check out some of GPL's reads which portray relationships between fathers and their children.


For father and daughter fiction, try one of these:

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

A farm novel where Smiley creates an idyllic world of family life that grimly unravels after the father abruptly decides to turn the farm over to his two eldest daughters and their husband. Smiley raises questions about human conduct and moral responsibility within the frame of family relationships.


The Alchemist's Daughter by Katharine McMahon

An involving moving tale for historical fiction lovers who will find themselves engulfed in the tale of a young woman whose learning is at odds with her heart in eighteenth-century England after being raised by her reserved, brilliant father. An absorbing character-driven novel.


My Father Had a Daughter: Judith Shakespeare's Tale by Grace Tiffany

The daughter of England's greatest dramatist, angered over her father's callousness regarding a family tragedy, heads for London intent on sabotaging his new play. This astute young woman presents a fascinating view of the life and psyche of the playwright.


Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin

Daughter Margaret's childhood ended when she was six, the day on which her mother walked out without an explanation, leaving her and her father, a kindly but moody Anglican priest, to fend for themselves. A conflict between duty and freedom, conformity and independence ensues. The book is marked by vivid detail and superb characterization.

Donorboy by Brendan Halpin

After the death of her mother and her lesbian lover, Rosalind, a troubled teen, finds herself living with Sean, the sperm-donor father she has never met, who cares for the grieving teenager. Sean and Rosalind forge an uneasy relationship that allows them to co-exist and finally respect each other. A compassionate and engrossing story.


The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard

Wendy loses her mother in the September 11th attack and moved in with her father and meets his girlfriend as well as a sad bookstore owner while missing her half-brother back in New York.

This is a sincere, heartfelt, affirmative fast-paced novel where, in the aftermath of 9/11, the usual rules don't apply.



For father and son fiction, try one of these:


About a Boy by Nick Hornby

This is a moving story about a friendless twelve-year-old boy grown in a single-parent family as well as a thirty-six-year old emotionally undeveloped bachelor who comes to find meaning in his life. The novel accurately portrays the thoughts and feelings of a twelve-year-old boy who feels displaced and lonely. A thoroughly engaging and funny expose of the problems of modern culture.


Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time: a Novel by Mark Haddon

Christopher is a math-gifted, autistic fifteen year old. Despite his anxiety about interacting with people, he decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog. In the process, he uncovers secrets about his mother. It is a wonderful, easy and moving story told in a fresh and inventive way.


Diamond Dogs: a Novel by Alan Watt

Seventeen-year-old Neil accidentally commits a horrifying crime. His abusive father who is also the local sheriff covers up for him until the FBI get involved and father and son get in a confrontation that could tear them apart. This is a psychological fiction story with a powerful conclusion.


The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

A tale of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son from the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day. It is a gripping story of personal redemption.


The Road by Cormac McCarthy

This novel follows an unnamed father and son journeying together over a period of several months across a grim, post-apocalyptic landscape, years after an unexplained cataclysm has destroyed civilization and almost all life on earth. It is pessimistic, disturbing and unsettling, yet portrays a faith in the face of no hope whatsoever.


Big Fish: a Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace

When William's attempts to get to know his dying father fail, he re-creates his life as a series of exuberant tall tales. It's a modern version of the American genre of the tall tale - as a well as an imaginative and moving record of a son's love for a charming, unknowable father.




Hope you choose and enjoy one of these titles on your special holiday!