The Good Father in 2025 Reading Challenge

Mar 04, 2012 Christa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ebook-arc

The Good Father was a compelling story of a young father who makes difficult and poor choices while trying to take care of the precious daughter who means everything to him. Travis Brown was a likeable character who had more than he could deal with at his young age. His daughter, Bella, was a wonderful addition to the story. Erin and Michael were great characters who were trying to find their way back from deep despair after losing their daughter. Robin is the mother who had powerful reasons for The Good Father was a compelling story of a young father who makes difficult and poor choices while trying to take care of the precious daughter who means everything to him. Travis Brown was a likeable character who had more than he could deal with at his young age. His daughter, Bella, was a wonderful addition to the story. Erin and Michael were great characters who were trying to find their way back from deep despair after losing their daughter. Robin is the mother who had powerful reasons for giving up Bella and who is finally strong enough to let herself wonder about the daughter she gave up. This book had a great and intriguing storyline to go with the remarkable characters, and has made Diane Chamberlain a must-read author for me.

At age nineteen, Travis Brown decided to raise the infant daughter that he hadn't been aware of. With his mother's help, he has given Bella a comfortable life and infinite love. When tragedy strikes and Travis loses both his mother and his home, he is unable to continue with his construction job. Trying to take care of Bella, he rents a place to stay and searches for work. Having no luck and on the verge of becoming homeless, Travis accepts an offer to work for a friend of his new neighbor. Travis and Bella travel to Raleigh for the job, where they will have to live out of their van until payday. Upon arrival, Travis finds that the job is not what he was led to believe. He is place in an untenable situation and makes decisions out of his desparation.

Erin is a thirty-something woman who is drowning in grief after losing her daughter. Her marriage to Michael has seemingly crumbled, and she hasn't been able to face returning to her job as a pharmacist. When Travis' dilemma places Bella in her care, Erin also has tough decisions to make.

Robin is the young mother of Bella who wasn't able to care for her when Bella was born. Robin has made life for herself and her engagement to the son of a powerful family has given her esteem in the town where she has settled. She is under misapprehension about the events surrounding Travis and their infant daughter, just as Travis has been misled about Robin.

The decisions that Travis has made to try to take care of his daughter cause all of these characters to come together, and put some of them in great danger.

I loved the characters and storyline in this book. I was rooting for the characters and hoping that they would come through the trials they faced stronger and happier. I enjoyed every minute spent reading this book. I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.

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Feb 16, 2012 Tonya rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2012-reads

The Good Father.... where to start. The first chapter was shocking! I couldn't wait to find out why Travis would leave a note in his daughter's pocket and leave her with Erin, a woman they met in a coffee shop. That is about all Travis knows about Erin.

The book has three different perspectives. Erin is a woman in her 30's separated from her husband. Trying hard to cope with her 4 year old daughter's death. Travis is trying to make a good life for himself and his daughter, and Robin, is Bella's m ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Sarah5 rated it really liked it

'The Good Father' is a powerful potrayal of parenthood and explores the issue of who can be a good parent. It also explores difficult issues such as loss - of both parents and children. It is often an emotional and at times, difficult read but it is dealt with sensitively. There are many different characters but all are linked in some way and well-developed. This was a strength of the book, I cared about the characters and what happened to them. In particular I liked Robin, a woman who due to il ...more

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Jun 17, 2014 ╟ ♫ Tima ♪ ╣ ♥ rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-stars, genre-contemporary, read-in-2014

Besides the gaping plot hole and the really lackluster, cheesy epilogue, this was a great book. Considering that my Grandmother recommended it to me. I liked it so much more than I was expecting. You really just love Bella and Erin..

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