Best Dads in Books

It's Father's Day!! Let's celebrate some fictional dads.

My list for the Best Moms in Books may have come up short on actual good moms, but I was excited to go on the search for good dads. It was slightly easier to find dads, though looking at my list of books, I was once again struck by how almost none of the middle grade and YA books I read have prominent/alive parents. It’s so sad. And disturbing.

The criteria I’m working off of for book dads is this: 

Alive

Decent  

Important to the story 

On good terms with his kid(s)

Not killed off to serve the plot

Fictional (I regret to inform myself that I can’t include Thomas Cromwell)

These dads are only from books I’ve read, so let’s see who I found.

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Mr. Weasley from the Harry Potter series

My review

In my mom post I talked about how the Weasleys are the unicorns of parents in novels, so of course Arthur Weasley would make this list. He’s a bit more involved in the action than his wife, and Harry talks with him often. He loves his kids and he comes across as a good guy. Go Weasleys!

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Sirius Black for being a good godfather. I still remember Harry’s excited reaction at being invited to live permanently with Sirius. And I’m still salty that it never happened.

Halt from The Ranger’s Apprentice series

Halt is not anyone’s actual father, but he is the father figure to Will, the main character in the series. Will is an orphan and he gets picked by Halt to be his apprentice and learn archery and what it means to be a Ranger. Halt is not a happy-go-lucky guy; he is the quintessential grumpy, sarcastic teacher who actually cares very deeply for his student. He prefers to blend in with his surroundings and be ignored, so watching him deal with a young boy’s questions and mistakes is not only good fun, but rewarding. The two of them go a long way together and it’s a journey I will remember for a long time.

On top of being a good father figure, he’s one of my all-time favorite characters.

Sam Vimes from the City Watch sub-series in the Discworld series

Even rarer than seeing a good dad is having the main character become a good dad and practice good dad-ship.

In Vimes’ case, he becomes a father in…I don’t actually remember if it’s the last or second last book in the series, but either way, he’s been a dad for several years. You first see him as a rough-and-ready bachelor and you get to witness him meet his wife and go on a very wholesome journey. There isn’t much with Vimes and his son, but at one point Vimes presses through adversity because he’s determined to read to his son before bed. It’s adorable and a wonderful twist in the orphan-loving fantasy genre. 

The dad from The Road

This book is extremely depressing; it’s set in a post-apocalyptic world and this father and son are traveling to what they hope is a better place. But everything’s pretty much toasted and not fit for human habitation, so they’re just going until they die. There’s almost no characterization for the dad or son, but they’re all the other one has and their bond is strong. I personally didn’t like this book—and it makes me question the judges for the Pulitzer winners. 

Nevery from The Magic Thief series

In this middle grade series, Nevery is a wizard who becomes a father figure to/apprentices an orphan to whom he teaches the art of magic. His attitude is taciturn, but he’s protective of his charge and even though he’ll rarely (if ever) say it, he does care.

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Dads that deserve to be on such a list as this, but kinda smudge one of my criteria. 

Mathew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables

Matthew loves Anne and is a great, sweet man and only heartless people would dare to dislike him. I am not heartless; however, the story is, because he tragically dies in the first book. Sorry about the spoilers.

Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

My review

Mrs. Bennet grudgingly made the mom list, but Mr. Bennet is a less egregious person. He’s a bit more flawed in the book than in the 2005 adaptation, and if he were removed from the book…yeah, not much would change, but I feel like there are worse dads to be had. I would’ve liked more interactions with him and Lizzie and maybe a conversation between him and Darcy. He doesn’t die though, which could’ve been a catalyst in the book, so he does get extra points for that. 

Wait a minute. What if he had died and then Mr. Collins took over the household? That is one version of the story I don’t think has been done and now I’m really curious how things would’ve unfolded. Hmm. That is definitely tickling my writerly mind. 

I know Emma has a dad in Emma, but I haven’t read the book yet and I don’t know if he plays a major role in the story, so he’s not on the list.

Maes Hughes from the Fullmetal Alchemist series

This manga is full of great characters and no matter how small their role, each person is drawn (ha!) in detail and is memorable. Of course I still have my favorites, and Hughes is one of them.

His love for his daughter is adorable and heartwarming; he’s so proud of her and he shares pictures and stories with his coworkers until they’re sick of it, but it makes me like him even more. He’s the type of guy who is almost always smiling and joking and that effervescence bubbles over into how he treats his daughter, so of course he’d make this list, with a slight asterisk that I won’t spoil.  

Horace Dinsmore from the Elsie Disnmore series 

Horace does not start out as a good dad. He left his daughter Elsie with his family (not Elsie’s mom, as she’s already dead) and went off to do whatever is was he was doing. Perhaps that wouldn’t be a terrible choice if his family weren’t such a bad batch. Elsie is poorly treated before and after her dad’s return. But but but…that’s a main point for the first part of the series: it’s all about Elsie and her dad finding common ground and working through their troubles together and building bridges. So while at first blush he would not make this list, he does become a good dad and grandfather and then everything’s better. 

I’ll add Edward Travilla to this list (he marries Elsie), but I don’t remember a lot of scenes showing him as a dad and he does kinda, well…die.

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Dads that exist, but I won’t fully endorse for one or more reasons.

Walt Longmire from the Longmire series

My review

I’ve only read the first book and Walt’s daughter does not make an appearance, but I get the idea that they’re at least on good terms. I hope that’s true.

Jean Valjean from Les Misérables

Again, Jean’s a father figure to what’s-her-face, but from the two adaptations I’ve seen (the Liam Neeson one actually isn’t too bad), he does a good job of loving and caring for her. Maybe one of these days I’ll read the book.

Elrond from The Lord of the Rings trilogy

You’d think that with a fairly sizable cast, there’d be a lot of parents to choose from, but man oh man, does Middle Earth have a surplus of orphans. It’s been a very long time since I read the books and I know people’s lineages are provided, but from the movies, there are only two verbal father/child interactions on the screen. We have Denethor/Boromir/Faramir, and Elrond/Arwen. Obviously I went with Elrond. He does have some harsh truths to share with Arwen, but the guy lived for like a thousand years; I’m sure he got something right.

Geralt from The Witcher series

Ciri is not Geralt’s actual daughter and I grew to despise her regardless of his feelings for her, but he loves her and tries to have a positive impact on her life. The two don’t have that much page time together though, and I was disappointed with that series and don’t want to push it all the way under a positive light. And I really hate Ciri. Like, really hate.

Rochester from Jane Eyre

My review

Yes, Rochester doesn’t treat his French ward with a great deal of niceness. However, I imagine his marriage to Jane changed him for the good and he did a better job with his own kids. Also, go watch the 2006 miniseries; Toby Stephens is a fantastic Rochester.

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There you have it: a collection of father figures, truncated lives, and vague forms of what I hope are good dads. Who would make your list? 

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