The Best Dads in Fiction

Thomas Schell died in the September 11 terrorist attacks, but his son, the precocious Oskar, chases his memory all around New York City. The two used to like solving puzzles, and Oskar is trying to piece his life back together after the loss of his dad. Though he’s gone, the impression Thomas left on Oskar will live on forever.

A bad decision sends protagonist Harry’s life into a downward spiral, and now he must learn to navigate single parenthood of a four-year-old. Author Parsons knows a thing or two about this role after going through a divorce and raising his son in the 1980s. The trials and tribulations he experienced and the love he nurtured became the basis for this endearing father-and-son tale, which topped bestseller lists in the U.K. for nearly a year.

Harding’s Pulitzer Prize-winner is another look at the beauty of the father-son relationship. The past unfurls as a man on his deathbed thinks about his turbulent childhood with his late father, Howard, who was a tinker (mender). In turn, Howard remembers his own father. A tender, lyrical look at the complexities of how sons rebel against — and emulate — the men who raise them.

Young Jojo’s grandpa, Pop, is a quietly powerful father figure in Ward’s National Book Award-winning coming-of-age story. His mother is too consumed with longing for his real father, who’s imprisoned in the notorious state penitentiary, to pay much attention to Jojo and his little sister. Pop’s paternal love and guidance shines all the more for his understated, dignified ways of teaching Jojo how to be a man as the family struggles to stay together in a world that’s tearing them apart.

In a future where nature prevails and humankind is all but extinct, a man teaches his daughter everything he knows to fuel her independence. This quick read is poetic and contemplative, revealing the beauty of a strong legacy.

Despite having five daughters to raise and a fretful wife consumed with matching, Mr. Bennett is the picture of steadfast patience. Even more endearing, he’s the only member of the family who understands and appreciates his daughter Lizzy’s independent spirit. Mr. Bennett grounds the entire family in Austen’s classic romp through Regency England full of lively romance, gossip, and flirtations.