Happy Father's Day

Celebrating Father's Day with my family got me thinking: Is there any better father in literature than Atticus Finch from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? Tonight at 8:00pm on Turner Classic Movies, the classic film version of Harper Lee's Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel will screen and everyone in my house will be watching. Atticus is, of course, played by Gregory Peck who won the Oscar for his portrayal of the compassionate Southern lawyer. Just try to imagine what Atticus might look like without picturing Gregory Peck.

Another father I went to honor on this Father's Day is Hans Hubermann from Markus Zusak's THE BOOK THIEF (which sits comfortably in the pantheon of my favorite books of all-time).
Infinitely wise and  endlessly loving, Hans quickly brings foster daughter Liesel into his heart and Jewish escapee Max into his home. I will never forget the many scenes in which Hans expresses all his joy and pain as he plays his accordion. Markus Zusak, the author, has said that TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD was an inspiration to him as he wrote THE BOOK THIEF. Perhaps Atticus served as an early model for the character of Hans.

What are some of the other great fathers in fiction?