Fathers in Fiction

It seems appropriate to be thinking about fathers these days.  After all, those who still have a father around are probably thinking about ways to show their love and appreciation for him on his special day, June 17^th.

Readers of the beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird clearly see the powerful paternal influence of Atticus Finch in shaping the hearts and minds of Scout and her brother Jem. Atticus embodies courage, compassion, and integrity and helps his children find those qualities in themselves.

Relationships with fathers also play a key role in each of the following books:

The Great Santini - Pat Conroy

Marine pilot Bull Meecham's stern and unyielding personality challenges his southern-bred gentle wife and his top athlete son to stand up and fight back against the hard knocks of life.

East of Eden – John Steinbeck

The story highlights the conflicts of two generations of brothers. The first brothers are the kind, gentle Adam Trask and his wild brother Charles. Adam eventually marries a prostitute who betrays him by joining his brother Charles on their wedding night. Later, after giving birth to twin boys, she shoots Adam and returns to her former profession. In the shadow of this past Adam raises their sons, who then desperately vie for their father's approval.

Tinkers -– Paul Harding

In this 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner, an old man lies dying. As time collapses into memory, he travels deep into his past where he is reunited with his father and relives the wonder and pain of his impoverished New England youth.

Empire Falls - Richard Russo

Miles Roby surveys his hometown with bemused regret from the Empire Grill, owned by a local magnate but run by him ever since he was called home from college to take care of his ailing mother. His ex-wife's new love has suddenly become a loyal customer and is constantly challenging him to an arm-wrestling contest; his father, always a day late and a dollar short, has talked a senile priest into running off to Key West for the winter; and the diner owner's daughter, aware of Miles' impending divorce, is forever trying to capture him in an embrace.

The Grace That Keeps This World – Tom Bailey

On the edge of the Adirondack wilderness, survival is a way of life for the Hazen family. Gary Hazen is a respected forester and hunter, known for his good instincts and meticulous planning. He and his wife, Susan, have raised their sons to appreciate the satisfaction of this difficult but honest life. In spite of this, the boys, now men, are slipping away. On the first day of hunting season the Hazen men enter the woods, unaware that the trip they are embarking on will force them to come to terms with their differences and will forever change their lives.

Bee Season – Myla Goldberg

Nine-year-old Eliza Naumann transforms herself from underachiever to spelling prodigy, while her family is gradually breaking down in front of her: father Saul, whose self-absorbed passion for Jewish mysticism blinds him to the suffering of those closest to him; mother Myriam, whose quest for perfection leads her into kleptomania; and brother Aaron, who rebels against his faith and turns to Hare Krishna. Eliza attempts to put her family back together by an act of will, spelling her way to harmony, assisted by her father's Kabbalah masters.

A Thousand Acres – Jane Smiley

A successful Iowa farmer decides to divide his farm between his three daughters. When the youngest objects, she is cut out of his will. This sets off a chain of events that brings dark truths to light and explodes long-suppressed emotions.

Durable Goods - Elizabeth Berg

This lyrical coming-of-age story is narrated by a thoughtful 12-year-old named Katie. Katie's young, gentle mother died of cancer, and now she and her older sister, Diane, are at the mercy of their father, an army man with a wretched temper and a heavy hand.

The Doctor’s Daughter – Hilma Wolitzer

One morning Alice Brill awakes with a sudden awareness that something is wrong. One cause of her unease is her father. Formerly one of New York's top surgeons, he now rests in a nursing home, his mind gripped by dementia. The romance of her parents' famously perfect marriage makes her own domestic life seem fatally flawed. While struggling to find the roots of her restlessness, Alice realizes that the mystery she's been trying to solve lies not in the present, as she had assumed, but in the past, and in the secrets of a marriage and family life that was never as perfect as it appeared.

Father Melancholy’s Daughter – Gail Godwin

This book is widely recognized as one of the author's most poignant and accomplished novels -- a bittersweet and ultimately transcendent story of a young girl's devotion to her father, the rector of a small Virginia church, and of the hope, dreams, and love that sustain them both in the wake of the betrayal and tragedy that diminished their family.