5 Father's Day Reading Picks
Surprising themes of parenting and fatherhood in five fantastic stories
In honor of Father’s Day, here are five of my favorite books and stories with parental themes infused into the plots. They may not be traditional stories about parenthood but they all contain elements that resonate with me as a father.
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Dan Rather said The Road was “the best book on fatherhood I have ever read.” At first glance that may seem like an odd way to describe a book about two people wandering through the post-apocalyptic wasteland. But at its core this story is about the strength a parent finds to protect and guide his child through a difficult situation. Whenever I feel anxiety, uncertainty, or hesitation about my choices as a father I remember how the main character handled the same feelings. By putting his son at the focus of every decision he could see the best choices most clearly. It taught me to consider and prioritize my values and keep moving forward once I’ve chosen a path. Children rely on their perception of their parents’ certainty and strength to feel secure. The Road is a dark and challenging read but contains much hope throughout.
2. The short story “A Small Good Thing” by Raymond Carver
A young boy is seriously injured just before his birthday and his family drops all of his birthday plans when he winds up in the hospital. Meanwhile, they receive taunting phone calls from the bakery where the boy’s birthday cake sits uncollected. The ending is one of my favorites and Carver shows that anyone with a good heart can be as nurturing, compassionate, and loving as a parent. It also reminds me that parents sometimes need to be cared for as well. We need to lean on our support systems to maintain our strength so that we can be there for our children. This story is in Cathedral, a collection of Raymond Carver’s short stories.
3. The Fun Master by Jeff Seitzer
Jeff Seitzer is a member of The Chicago Writers Association, and The Fun Master received Honorable Mention in the Indie Non-Fiction category at CWA’s 2023 Book of the Year Awards. During my most challenging times as a father it helps to hear stories about parents who have summoned incredible strength through their love of their children. It gives me the courage to live in the present and accept the unknowable. Seitzer’s memoir tells the story of a father and a family coping with their son’s chronic illness. It is funny, nostalgic, terrifying, and heartbreaking. Most of all, it is true and inspiring.1
4. Sol Weintraub’s story in Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Hyperion is a science fiction novel that follows several characters on their pilgrimage to visit a mythical character called the Shrike. Along the journey each character gives an account of their backstory, reminiscent of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
Sol Weintraub’s story is a heartbreaking tale about a father trying to save his daughter from a condition that erases her memories. As the years pass, she forgets family, friends, and life events.
I think about memories a lot: the memories I have of my father, the memories I want my children to have of me, and how my actions play a role in those memories. When I have to act in a difficult situation the number one question I ask myself is, “How do I want my kids to remember how I handled this?” I felt Sol’s pain so intensely I had to put the book down more than once. It’s a beautiful story.
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Why do we create life? Why do we choose to bring innocent beings into a world with global warming, nuclear weapons, and political discord? Like Rust Cohle says in True Detective, “Think of the hubris it must take to yank a soul out of nonexistence into this meat.”
Frankenstein’s monster experiences what parents fear most for their children. He is misunderstood, bullied, and hated for being different. Understandably, the monster becomes hateful and violent in response and ultimately becomes the thing people fear he is. At the moment of confrontation, when asking Victor why he was created, the monster states the problem and offers a solution: Loneliness made him miserable, and the misery led to bitterness, hatred, and violence. He begs his father to create a partner just like him so he would not be alone and could experience love.
And that, to me, is the answer: we all could turn into monsters without love. Bringing a child into this world and raising them with love and to be loving is the greatest weapon against fear, anger, and hatred. Creating life is the closest thing we have to real magic. When we “yank a soul out of nonexistence,” we have the opportunity to increase the good in the world. Or, if we are neglectful and unloving, we might increase the bad.
What are your favorite books containing the themes of parenting, motherhood, or fatherhood? Give us a little synopsis and share your picks in the comments below.
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