Character Analysis
A former hippie, Laurel's dad is a friendly, laid-back guy who runs his own bookstore. This has apparently been a lifelong dream of his, because as soon as they got the finances to do it, he "had come home practically bouncing with excitement" (1.102). Like a kid in a candy… er, book… store.
We don't condone stereotyping, but Laurel's dad is kind of your typical absent-minded bookish person. Laurel knows, for instance, that "her father rarely noticed anything before his second cup of coffee" (5.52). He does sense, however, that Laurel's upset after the blossom grows on her back, so he takes some time to sit and talk with her when she begins asking questions about her childhood. In other words, he has his heads in the clouds a bit, but he can totally come down to earth when his daughter needs him.
He's also a bit of a workaholic. When he falls ill, Laurel is amazed that he would let sickness stand in the way of him going to work, saying: "Wow […] He hasn't missed a day of work in forever" (16.19). The illness totally decimates him, too, and when Laurel goes to visit him in the hospital, "He'd been very weak and only managed to keep his eyes open for a few minutes to say hello and accept a gentle hug" (18.5). It's really hard for Laurel to see him this way, so we know how much she cares about her dad. Thanks to the faerie elixir, luckily he survives. Phew.