Tom, Daniel, and Kylie's grandfather; he died years before the start of the novel. He ran a tractor repair business in town but moved it to his and Gran's home after he supposedly lost the business site in town betting on it. He had a gambling problem that Gran attempted to mitigate by hanging a picture of Saint Bernadine, who was supposed to protect gamblers, in their bedroom. Pa also loved cars, which helped him bond with Daniel more than any of his children or other grandchildren. Though Tom doesn't offer specifics, he implies that Pa and Gran's marriage was very unhappy.
Get the entire The Story of Tom Brennan LitChart as a printable PDF.
Pa Character Timeline in The Story of Tom Brennan
The timeline below shows where the character Pa appears in The Story of Tom Brennan. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter Four
Gran and Pa's property is called "Saint Marguerite Bourgeoy's" after Saint Marguerite, one of Gran's favorite saints. Daniel...
(full context)
Chapter Five
...to be one that brought excitement. Brendan notices Tom smiling, and they reminisce about how Pa would take them all to the beach, but only after he’d spent time betting in...
(full context)
Chapter Ten
...the idea of Daniel in jail. He reminisces that he never liked cars much, but Pa loved cars and taught Daniel to drive. Brendan shares a memory of hearing Pa squealing...
(full context)
Chapter Nineteen
...any help to her, and Tom remembers that Bernadine was supposed to protect gamblers like Pa. He asks Gran about Saint Clare, and Gran says that Clare saved her home and...
(full context)
