Time for a Father’s Day blog post! It can be hard sometime to find representations of good fathers in literature. We have absent fathers, abusive fathers, and fathers who just drift in and out of the background. I confess that many of my characters have fathers who fall into these categories. They tend to come from traumatic backgrounds and/or families with secrets. But there are a few important exceptions.
Michah’s father in Virtually Harmless is very supportive and helpful, even if they do occasionally not see eye-to-eye. He is a retired cop, and is proud of her using her skills in law enforcement.
Virtually Harmless
From award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman
Micah lived a quiet, comfortable life, her involvement in law enforcement limited to the composite pictures that she produced with her computer and colored pencils.
But everything is turned upside down when she involves herself in the case of an infant found abandoned in the Sweetgrass Hills.
With the help of her knowledge of DNA and law enforcement contacts across the country, Micah is closing in on a killer. But her investigation draws the killer’s attention, and she finds herself in the middle of an operation that could mean the end of her career—or worse, her life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This cosy thriller with a neurodivergent, aro-ace MC will keep you turning the pages long after you should have logged into your day job. Oops.
Love CSI and other forensic mysteries? Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author brings you this fresh new nail-biter for your next read.
Join Micah as she picks up her pencils and starts on a new case.
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“P. D. Workman has outdone herself with this riveting techno-thriller featuring Micah Miller, a forensic artist specializing in composite renderings based on forensic DNA phenotyping … This book offers plenty of thrills, chills, suspense and white-knuckled tension as the plot unfolds and it kept me turning pages until late into the night. The story is clean and well-written, the plot is fascinating, the pace is relentless and the characters are realistic and relatable. I highly recommend this absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable thriller to anyone who favors CSI, NCIS, Cold Case, Forensic Files or any high-tech inspired crime-solving theme.”
—Kim, Goodreads reviewer
You may be surprised at my inclusion of one of the Zachary Goldman series in this list. If you have been reading the series, you know that Zachary’s parents were both very abusive and are not a part of his life. However, his former foster father, Lorne Peterson, and his partner Patrick Partner, have taken on father roles in Zachary’s life and are always there to provide whatever help he needs.
His Hands Were Quiet
He’s better off dead anyway.
Hired to investigate the death of an autistic boy in a treatment facility, PI Zachary Goldman is concerned about the therapies he sees there. While he is assured that the children there are not actually being hurt, his investigation leads to the discovery of even deeper institutional abuses.
Battling the ghosts of his own past, Zachary fights to uncover the facility’s dark secrets and to get as many children as he can out of harm’s way.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The way that PD Workman showed the autistic perspective in contrast to the mainstream views about us was lovely. I appreciated it more than I can express in words. She did thorough research on multiple sides of the issue and it shows. She gives multiple autistic perspectives, not just one, and the way they were presented brought me to tears multiple times … The story itself was a solid mystery with many exciting twists and turns along the way. Even if I wasn’t personally invested in the topic (being autistic myself and having autistic children), I still would’ve enjoyed it as a mystery. I’m extremely likely to pick up more of her books now that I’ve read this one!
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
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The way that PD Workman showed the autistic perspective in contrast to the mainstream views about us was lovely. I appreciated it more than I can express in words. She did thorough research on multiple sides of the issue and it shows. She gives multiple autistic perspectives, not just one, and the way they were presented brought me to tears multiple times … The story itself was a solid mystery with many exciting twists and turns along the way. Even if I wasn’t personally invested in the topic (being autistic myself and having autistic children), I still would’ve enjoyed it as a mystery. I’m extremely likely to pick up more of her books now that I’ve read this one!
Kelli has grown up without a father in her life, for the most part. When she discovers that her mother has been keeping secrets about her past, she unexpectedly finds that she has had one all along. It is quite an adjustment for her, and despite his best intentions, her new father finds the new daughter in his life to be a challenge!
Making Her Mark
Secrets and lies.
When everything changed, Kelli thought she would be happy. But nothing really changed.
Kelli’s life has never been easy. She’s always faced her problems head on. She’s strong and savvy and in charge of herself. All of that is about to change.
Her life is turned upside down when she discovers the secret that her mother has been hiding from her for years.
Kelli thinks this is her one chance at happiness. But is it?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️One of the best books I’ve read in a long time!
By the author of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the Top Fiction Award, In the Margins Committee, 2016, Kelli’s journey of discovery about herself and her family will keep you turning the pages.
If you enjoy gritty contemporary young adult books like those by John Green and Stephen Chbosky, give P.D. Workman’s Making Her Mark a try.
I cheered for Kellie, hoping she would find the love and validation she always lacked and would finally find peace within herself. If you’ve never tried PD Workman’s novels, then I recommend you do. If you’re already a fan, you won’t be disappointed with this story.
—Victoria, Goodreads reader
You will not find Nadie’s biological father anywhere in this story, but she has been raised by her grandfather, and despite his failings, he is a loving and supportive father who has raised many of the community’s children and teens and always steps forward one more time, despite the hardship.
Questing for a Dream
Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author P.D. Workman’s compelling and poignant account of Native teen Nadie Laplante’s quest for meaning and purpose. This thought-provoking and eye-opening story of poverty, prejudice and addiction will inspire readers of all ages and remind them that they are not alone.
Nadie is a bright, caring teen growing up Manitoba Cree growing up in abject poverty. She tries to balance school attendance, caring for her younger cousin Luyu, and spending time with handsome, impish Mouse, her best friend and confidante. Together, they strive to find the path to happiness on the reservation.
But tragedy strikes and Nadie’s is devastated by Luyu’s accidental death. Unable to find comfort in Mouse’s arms or Grandfather’s traditional mourning rites, Nadie leaves the band and strikes off on her own, searching for meaning and a new life in the outside world.
Can Nadie find happiness and a place of her own in a foreign world where she is abused and discriminated against? Completely alone for the first time in her life, it is a challenge such as Nadie has never before faced.
“P.D. Workman’s skilled narrative of Nadie and her poignant journey to wholeness is a thoughtful expose of shattered dreams and tragic youth sure to resonate with every reader.”
“An inspiring book which can encourage the reader to face the challenges in life’s journey and to accept the lessons that come as a result.”
By the author of the award-winning Ruby, Between the Cracks, this engaging and unforgettable story of Nadie’s journey to find a place in the world amidst heartache and hopelessness will inspire you to face your challenges with courage and become a happier and stronger person.
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Easily one of the most thought-provoking and compelling reads of the year, Ms. Workman has written a masterful contemporary account of one native teen’s journey from home and the possibilities for hope even for those drowning in poverty, prejudice, and addiction … A must-read tale for any book lover!
Sarah E. Bradley, InD’tale Magazine
And some more!
I have been reading through lists of books with strong father figures. Some of them, like mine, include father figures who are not the main character’s biological father or the father who raised them. The Harry Potter books are often referenced, with Mr. Weasley referenced. Harry also had several other father figures in his life as well.
Here are some more to consider:
Les Miserables
Jean Val Jean is willing to put everything on the line for his adopted daughter Cosette.
Victor Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird seems to rise to the top of most lists of exemplary fictional fathers. Atticus Finch is a strong and fair-minded man who is raising his children to be the best people they can be.
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep South—and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred
One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.
Little House in the Big Woods
Who doesn’t love Laura Ingalls’ Pa in the Little House series? Kind and thoughtful, he always has the right answer and knows how to make his little girls smile.
Little House in the Big Woods takes place in 1871 and introduces us to four-year-old Laura, who lives in a log cabin on the edge of the Big Woods of Wisconsin. She shares the cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her sisters Mary and Carrie, and their lovable dog, Jack.
Pioneer life isn’t easy for the Ingalls family, since they must grow or catch all their own food as they get ready for the cold winter. But they make the best of every tough situation. They celebrate Christmas with homemade toys and treats, do their spring planting, bring in the harvest in the fall, and make their first trip into town. And every night, safe and warm in their little house, the sound of Pa’s fiddle lulls Laura and her sisters into sleep.
And a few more of my favourites before you go. My computer is acting up, so I’m just going to list titles to get them down for you:
What are some of your favourites?
