Leo Tolstoy famously begins the novel Anna Karenina with the sentence: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." In this thematic collection, we have gathered noteworthy texts that navigate the joyous and sorrowful emotional terrain of the family unit.
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Social Justice
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Japanese Literature, Arts / Culture, WWII / World War II, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Gender, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Immigration
Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Immigration / Refugee, Religion / Spirituality, Biography
Publication year 1999
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Humor, Education, Education, Southern Literature
Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children” debuted in the March 1997 issue of The Atlantic. Gautreaux was born in Louisiana, and his novels and short stories, like this one, draw from his experience of growing up in a Southern, blue-collar family. His characters include a range of rural Louisiana residents, many of whom struggle with societal and generational changes. Gautreaux has received numerous awards, most notably the 1999 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for... Read Welding with Children Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Incarceration, Relationships, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Psychology, Psychology
We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver. It is an epistolary novel, comprising the letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son’s crime. The novel explores themes of nihilism, motherhood, the relationship between violence and depravity, and much more. The book won the Orange Prize for Literature in 2005 and was adapted into an acclaimed feature film starring Tilda Swindon and John... Read We Need To Talk About Kevin Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture
We Were Here is a Newbury-Award-winning, young adult novel written by Matt De La Pena. Published in 2011, the first person narrative is written in diary form in the voice of the teenaged protagonist, Miguel Castaneda. The story begins with Miguel’s description of his admission to juvenile hall, a detention facility near his family home in Stockton, California. His father, a member of the US Army, was killed in action the preceding year. While the... Read We Were Here Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World
We Were the Lucky Ones, written by Georgia Hunter and published in 2017, is a historical novel based on the actual experiences of the author’s family during World War II. Hunter’s grandfather, Addy Kurc, came from a family of Jews in Radom, Poland. The book follows the story of Addy, his parents Nechuma and Sol, and his siblings Genek, Mila, Jakob, and Halina, along with their spouses, as they struggle to survive the Holocaust and... Read We Were the Lucky Ones Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
We Were the Mulvaneys is a novel by American writer Joyce Carol Oates, originally published in the US in 1996. Set largely in the rural Northeastern United States in the 1970s, this story deals with the myth of the ideal American family and the ruinous effects it can have when real-life events threaten the appearance of familial unity. After having been featured as an Oprah Book Club selection in January 2001, the novel became a... Read We Were the Mulvaneys Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Mental Illness, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Parenting, Psychology, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction