In pop culture, fathers are too frequently portrayed as the bumbling parent who ruins things that moms then have to come fix. But being a dad is far more complicated (and beautiful, and terrifying, and everything else).
For anyone tired of overly simplistic representations of dads, we have good news: Literature is really great at painting more dynamic portraits of fatherhood.
SEE ALSO:Dad jokes, rankedSome books are rueful meditations on father/son relationships, while others are hilarious dives into parenting misadventures. Still others demonstrate how meaningful a found family can be. But no matter what tone and types of characters are featured, books are here to show us there's no one way to be a dad. In fact, there are infinite ways.
Here are 11 books that showcase the weird, wonderful, unforgettable phenomenon we know as fatherhood.
Credit: Penguin PressAutumn
Karl Ove Knausgaard
Dads give the best presents, but Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgaard really takes the cake with his book Autumn. It's a collection of brief meditations that attempt to capture what makes the world beautiful, all written for Knausgaard's unborn daughter, his fourth child. "You will experience things for yourself and live a life of your own, so of course it is primarily for my own sake that I am doing this: showing you the world, little one, makes my life worth living," Knausgaard writes in the book's intro. You know that phrase, "I wish I could give you the world"? That's exactly what Knausgaard is trying to do for his daughter, and no, we're not crying, YOU'RE crying.
Credit: Harper CollinsPops: Fatherhood in Pieces
Michael Chabon
It's not the big moments, but rather the small things of everyday life that carry the most weight. In his book Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces, Michael Chabon tries to capture those glimpses that make fatherhood so extraordinary. The book opens with Chabon's famous GQ essay about watching his son fully embrace himself at Paris Fashion Week, and expands from there with 6 other essays about fatherhood. There is no other way to say this: Michael Chabon is just a fucking phenomenal writer. Whether you're a dad yourself or reflecting on your relationship with your own father, Chabon's writing about parenting will tug at your heartstrings. (Bonus: If you want another gorgeous meditation on fatherhood, be sure to read Chabon's "The Recipe for Life," an essay about his own dad, published in The New Yorker.)
An American Marriage
Tayari Jones
Much has been said about Tayari Jones' critically acclaimed An American Marriage,and for good reason — the book does emotional gymnastics as readers dive into the complex relationship between Celestial and Roy, a newly married couple separated after Roy is wrongly incarcerated. But in addition to dealing with amorous love, the book also carries a very important theme of fatherhood. Roy is raised by a stepdad, but (*spoiler alert*) he unexpectedly meets his biological father in prison in the middle of the novel. As Roy meditates on his life and what he's learned from each of those men, An American Marriage explores what it means to be a dad in America today.
Tinkers
Paul Harding
It's turtles all the way down when it comes to portraying parenthood in Paul Harding's novel Tinkers. The book opens with one father on his death bed, thinking about his relationship with his father. Then, as the narrative progresses, Harding flashes back to the dad's relationship with his dad. The result is a novel that, in just under 200 pages, captures generations of father/son dynamics and the complex ways we conform and rebel against our dads. Connecting it all is some incredible prose about family and growing up.
Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood
Drew Magary
Here's the secret that nobody tells you about parenthood: Sometimes it can be a complete shitshow. It's that truth that Drew Magary hopes to document in his parenthood memoir, Someone Could Get Hurt. The book is a collection of tales from Magary's experiences as a dad, ranging from "getting drunk while trick-or-treating and telling dirty jokes to make bath time go smoothly to committing petty vandalism to bond with a 5-year-old." Mashable's Marcus Gilmer saysSomeone Could Get Hurtis a "raw, honest, sometimes crude and hilarious account of parenthood with a heart at its center."
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Has there been a more iconic dad to grace the pages of a book than Atticus Finch, the unforgettable father in To Kill a Mockingbird? Atticus is wise in his own right, but it's his willingness to let Scout and Jem explore, fail, and learn from their mistakes that takes him to the next level. That's not to say he's an absent father. Just the opposite: Atticus always has his eye on his kids and their learning, and he delivers key lessons about kindness, empathy, and justice throughout the novel. It's this compassion and wisdom that makes Atticus such an iconic literary dad. (The elephant in the room is Go Set a Watchman, where Atticus is old, mean, and racist. But that's an early draft of To Kill a Mockingbird, so I don't count it as Harper Lee canon.)
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley
Hannah Tinti
Hannah Tinti's The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley is a novel about the lengths we'd go to in order to protect our family. The book follows Loo and her father, the titular Samuel Hawley, as they settle into a provincial New England town. Not all is as it seems, however. Though Hawley is quiet, he has a dark past as a smuggler, and his decision to move is an attempt to escape ghosts of his former life of crime that are coming to haunt him. The novel tracks Samuel Hawley's past (the 12 lives alluded to in the novel) alongside Hawley's efforts to give Loo a normal childhood. Sure, he may not be a traditional dad, but one thing is sure: He loves his daughter more than anything.
The Goldfinch
Donna Tartt
Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch is a quietly divisive novel. After a literally explosive beginning, the novel follows Theo, a boy who accidentally steals a painting from the Met, as he grows up. The second half of the book turns into a fast-paced art heist novel, in stark contrast to the coming-of-age story we begin with. One of the most unforgettable sections in the book, though, is about Theo's time in the West Village with gay antiques collector Hobie. Hobie takes in Theo, who's been orphaned after the bombing at the Met, as his own son. Though Hobie is dealing with his own grief, he becomes a kind and generous father figure for Theo. It's this portrait of fatherhood and found family that gives The Goldfinch its grounding and its heart.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling
You may be surprised to find Harry Potter on this list, especially considering how the novels deconstruct the myth of James Potter in the later books. But for anyone who says Harry Potter is not a series about fatherhood, I've got two words for you: Sirius Black. Despite having perhaps one of the most tragic character arcs of the series, Harry's godfather Sirius remains a beacon of light shining from the HP Universe. He's playful, he's moody, he can transform into a dog, and, more than anything, he loves Harry. And though Sirius is the most notable father figure for Harry, with characters like Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, and more, the Harry Potter series is filled with models of fatherhood in all forms.
Credit: MACMILLANA Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle
A lot of weird stuff happens in A Wrinkle in Time. Like, waaaaay more weird stuff than you remember. As the Wallace children (and Calvin) journey to rescue Meg's dad, they meet darkness incarnate, an evil brain, and a giant, faceless creature named "Aunt Beast." But at the core of the Wallace's journey through space and time is Meg's steadfast love and devotion to her father, who is willing to risk it all to protect his children. Even when he's not at home, the mere memory of Mr. Wallace gives Meg courage, which is why he's one of literature's best dads.
Sing, Unburied, Sing
Jesymn Ward
Jesymn Ward's National Book Award-winning novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing, is a coming-of-age story filled with ghosts. The book follows Jojo and his mom Leonie as they journey to pick up Jojo's father from prison. As the novel dives into the way we all must confront our pasts, Sing, Unburied, Sing provides a raw look at a vulnerable family trying to stay together despite the challenges they face. Included is Jojo's grandfather, Pop, a stoic figure who serves as a foundation for the family — but also has his own story to tell.
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