Is Alex and Connor's dad alive?

Is Alex and Connor's Dad Alive?

No, Alex and Connor’s dad is not alive. In The Wishing Spell, the first book of Chris Colfer’s *The Land of Stories* series, it’s revealed that their father died in a car accident just one month before the twins turned eleven. That means it’s been nearly a year since the tragedy when the story begins.

His death has left a deep impact on the family. Alex and Connor each cope in their own way—Alex becoming more serious and responsible, while Connor retreats into fantasy and humor. Their mother, already stretched thin, struggles to keep everything together while holding onto her own grief. The loss shapes much of the twins’ journey, not just emotionally, but as a quiet undercurrent to their adventures in the fairy tale world they discover.

Though their father never appears in person, his presence lingers. His memory becomes a kind of compass—guiding choices, fueling motivations, and even influencing the magic they encounter. In a series built on wonder and whimsy, this very real loss grounds the story in something deeply human.

The book doesn’t dwell on the accident in a graphic way, but it treats the grief with honesty. It’s not about moving on, but learning to carry the love forward. And in that sense, while their father is gone, he’s never truly absent from the story.