He'd thought her bright and pretty, and far too indulged by her long-absent father.

The novel is set in 12th century Japan and tells the story of Muna, a 14-year-old who searches for his long-absent father following his mother's death.

A fourth, like Amanda, had confided in her mother but wanted nothing to do with her long-absent father.

A good deal of the story is seen through the eyes of a rootless ex-G.I. named Hector Brennan, who is Nicholas's long-absent father and whom June enlists to aid her in her search.

As a teenager, Mr. Perry tried living with his long-absent father, but had to move out after a few months when his father's new wife discovered that he had been wearing her clothes.

Wilson described Lemon Sky (1970) as "directly autobiographical"; the narrator, Alan, Wilson's representation of himself, describes an attempt to reconcile with his long-absent father.

The brothers will be reunited, Mr. Shalhoub said, when their long-absent father surfaces.

Young Tretyakov had also resented his sister, Lyalya, for forming an attachment to their stepfather but the now-grown lieutenant recalls a moment when he found the girl feeding cookie crumbs to a picture of their long-absent father.

When she tracks down her long-absent father, he punches her.

Those are minor irritants, however, compared with the sudden appearance in his life of Leo Wagonman (Mr. Hirsch), Casey's long-absent father.