10 Amazing Fictional Fathers!

I’ve heard a lot of people say that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just Hallmark holidays, and I strongly disagree.  I feel like dismissing the nationwide holiday is to dismiss everything that a good parent does.  We should have day that honors their hard work.

I’ve also heard people say that we should be honoring them every day.  That is true.  Just like it’s true that we should be honoring our Veterans every day, not just Veterans day.  That doesn’t mean we all can’t come together on one day, as a country, to celebrate good parents.

So now, just like my Mother’s Day Ten, I’m choosing to highlight fathers in fiction that I thought were truly exceptional.  If you have any more to add, please drop them in the comments section.  I’m always looking for books with admirable parents.  🙂

1. Tony from Hell & High Water

Anyone who’s a fan of this series can tell you how amazing Tony was with both of his sons.  You never doubt his love for Dex or Cael, or theirs for him.  When Dex needed a family he didn’t hesitate, nor did he hesitate when he heard there was a baby out there without parents.  He made the boys a family, and they made him a dad.

2. Trevanian from Finnikin of the Rock

I love this trilogy so much, but this first book was pretty slow in the beginning.  It was beautiful.  The concept was gorgeous, but it wasn’t until Trevanian joined the story that I really got hooked.  His sacrifices for his men, and particularly for his son broke my heart.  There was nobody he loved more than Finnikin.

3. Pastor Tommy from How to be a Normal Person

Even though we only get glimpses of Pastor Tommy through flashbacks, he’s probably one of the most heartfelt characters in this book.  Through Gus’s eyes we see how much Pastor Tommy loved him.  You can feel how kind and generous he was as a father.  He was such an amazing parent that it’s obvious how much Gus misses him on every single page.

4. TJ’s Dad from Whale Talk

I remember how much I loved this book.  I’m a sucker for underdog sports stories, and this gave me all of that and more.  I also remember how special TJ’s father was in this one.  He was big, and rough, and looked scary, but he had the biggest heart.  After all these years, he’s still the character that stood out the most.

5. Roland from All’s Fair

Roland reminds me a lot of Pastor Tommy, but a bit more of a trouble starter.  No matter what feathers he’s ruffling, his son Elliot is his biggest priority.  Even though their relationship has had it’s rough patches, particular because Elliot was an FBI agent, they still love each other very much.  They work hard to maintain a friendship.

6. Vicente from The Inexplicable Logic of My Life

While I did enjoy the friendship, I think my biggest takeaway was Sal’s relationship with his father Vicente.  It wasn’t only that he was such an amazing father, because he was, it was how it was a positive, loving, adoptive parent story.  We need more stories like this in television and books.  Vicente was the best father, and it had nothing to do with DNA.

7. Abe from Spirit Bound

Overall the Vampire Academy series was good, but it wasn’t until Abe’s secret was revealed that I found myself loving the series, particularly Spirit Bound.  I love reading about a father who would drop everything to help their child, and that’s exactly who Abe was.  Maybe he wasn’t your typical father, but that only made these moments better.

8. Keith Mars from Veronica Mars

This one is cheating, I know.  Since they are also books, I’m going to use it.  I loved Veronica and Keith’s friendship, and I loved how he balanced that with being a parent too.  I loved that he was willing to put his own life secondary, when it would interfere with what was best for his daughter.  He was definitely one of the better characters in the series.

9. Bear from Bear, Otter and the Kid

Bear was technically Ty’s brother, but when he was left with the responsibility of raising his little brother he stepped right up and took control.  It was hard, he was very young, but he became everything Ty needed him to be.  He made a little family, and therefore I believe he deserves to be here.  He was a wonderful father.

10. Gordon from Renegade X

Being a great parent doesn’t mean that won’t make mistakes.  Gordon did make mistakes, but regardless of that, learning about his son and forging a relationship with him was important to him.  Despite Damien’s mistakes, Gordon tries to have his back.  And in his own way, I think he wins over Damien’s love.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!