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 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Economics, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Parenting, Science / Nature, Self Help
Publication year 1982
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Crimes of the Heart is a three-act play by Beth Henley. It opens five years after Hurricane Camille, in a Mississippi town called Hazlehurst. The entirety of the play takes place in the kitchen of the house belonging to the Magrath sisters: Lenny, Babe, and Meg. The play begins on Lenny’s thirtieth birthday. Lenny and Chick, a first cousin, are taking about an unspecified piece of terrible news that will be appearing in the newspaper. It has something to do... Read Crimes of the Heart Summary
Publication year 1949
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
Crooked House is a crime fiction novel by mystery writer Agatha Christie, and its title was inspired by the house in the nursery rhyme, “There Was a Crooked Man.” The novel was first published in the US in 1949 by Dodd, Mead, and Company, and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in the same year. Crooked House is one of Christie’s favorites among her own work. The novel takes place in post-World War... Read Crooked House Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Urban Development, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, French Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Crossing the Mangrove (1995) by Maryse Condé was originally published in French as Traversée de la Mangrove. It was translated to English by her husband Richard Philcox. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel opens with a mystery—that of Francis Sancher’s murder. As characters gather to speak at Sancher’s wake, they reveal his impact on the village of Rivière au Sel (“Salty River”), as well as why he returned to the village of his ancestors. While... Read Crossing the Mangrove Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Globalization
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture
Crossing the Wire tells the story of Victor Flores, a Mexican teenager who leaves his village of Los Árboles to illegally cross the border into the United States. Victor’s father died while working in the U.S. four years earlier, leaving Victor “the man of the family” (14). His family has been living off of the money Victor makes farming corn, but free trade agreements with the U.S. have made Mexican corn worthless. The only option... Read Crossing the Wire Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Economics
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family
Tags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction
Crow Lake is a 2002 Canadian bildungsroman set in a rural farming community in northern Ontario. It is author Mary Lawson’s debut work and earned her the Books in Canada First Novel Award and the UK McKitterick Prize. The novel focuses on the Morrison siblings, who are orphaned when their parents are killed by a logging truck. Kate, the second-youngest member of the family, narrates the novel in first person. Her narrative alternates between the... Read Crow Lake Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: World
Publication year 1948
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1948 work of historical fiction by Alan Paton. Set in South Africa, it follows a Christian reverend named Stephen Kumalo, who lives in a Zulu village called Ndotsheni. Geographically isolated from his brother John, his sister Gertrude, and his son Absalom, Stephen becomes worried when he stops hearing from them. He travels to Johannesburg to check up on them. Cry, the Beloved Country is known for illuminating a historically... Read Cry, the Beloved Country Summary
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Animals
Cujo, a horror-thriller novel first published in 1981, is the 10th novel by the American “King of Horror,” Stephen King. It was inspired by a trip the author took to a mechanic in rural Maine whose St. Bernard nearly attacked King. Cujo received several accolades upon its release and won the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1982. It was adapted into a film of the same name in 1983.The citations in this study... Read Cujo Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Korean Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1957
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Written by Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine is a collection of connected short stories that are loosely based on the author’s memories of his own childhood in upstate Illinois; as such, the narrative uses the nostalgic mystique of summer to evoke the wonders, adventures, and mysteries of growing up. As the first volume in the Green Town trilogy, which also includes Farewell Summer and Something Wicked This Way Comes, this coming-of-age story includes elements of fantasy... Read Dandelion Wine Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World
Carol Matas is the author of the 1993 novel for young readers, Daniel’s Story, and she published the book in conjunction with the United States Holocaust Museum Memorial exhibit Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story. Like the museum exhibit, Daniel’s Story presents a researched account of what it was like to grow up in Nazi Germany and live through the Holocaust. Before she wrote Daniel’s Story, Matas published two historical novels about the Dutch resistance during... Read Daniel's Story Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Darkly Dreaming Dexter (2004) is a crime thriller by South Florida author Jeff Lindsay. It is the first installment in an eight-novel series that follows the exploits of serial killer Dexter Morgan. The books were turned into an award-winning television series that aired on Showtime from 2006 to 2013. The show’s first season follows the same narrative beats as Darkly Dreaming Dexter. The plot follows Dexter through several of his own kills as well as... Read Darkly Dreaming Dexter Summary