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 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance, Fantasy, New Adult
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Realistic Fiction, Music, Children's Literature, Humor
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure
Published in 2015, V. E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic is a young adult fantasy novel and the first installment of the Shades of Magic series. Kell Maresh, one of the last Antari magicians, possesses the rare ability to travel between parallel worlds. When a dangerous artifact from a forbidden realm falls into Kell’s possession, he and a thief named Lila Bard become entangled in a perilous adventure. The novel—which received a Goodreads Choice... Read A Darker Shade of Magic Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Biography, Politics / Government, History: Middle Eastern
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Psychology, Parenting, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Health, Education
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Grief / Death, Children's Literature
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans is a novel by Bruce W. Cameron and is the first in his A Dog’s Purpose series of novels. Written in 2010, the novel was a New York Times bestseller for 49 weeks. The novel is unique in that it is narrated by a dog. The dog lives four lives over the course of the novel, seeking a purpose for his life during each of his incarnations. In... Read A Dog's Purpose Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Parenting, Arts / Culture, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., Biography
A Dream Called Home is a memoir published in 2018 by the award-winning Mexican American author Reyna Grande. The book is the sequel to her bestselling 2012 memoir, The Distance Between Us, which addresses Reyna’s experiences crossing the US-Mexico border as a child. The title alludes to the American dream while also gesturing to varied concepts of home. This summary refers to the 2018 English-language edition published by Atria Books.Plot SummaryReyna divides her memoir into... Read A Dream Called Home Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Children's Literature
Publication year 1983
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Japanese Literature, Grief / Death, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: Asian, Education, Education, British Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Kazuo Ishiguro is an English and Japanese author who is most well-known for prizewinning novels such as The Remains of the Day (1989) and Never Let Me Go (2005), the latter of which was adapted into a film in 2010. “A Family Supper” is a 1983 short story that was originally published in a volume of Ishiguro’s works, titled Firebird 2: Writing Today.The short story begins when an unnamed narrator returns to his homeland of... Read A Family Supper Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Politics / Government, Education, Education, History: U.S., Business / Economics, History: World
Michael McGerr’s 2003 nonfiction book, A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920, is titled after a phenomenon President Theodore Roosevelt observed in the early 20th century. The book’s epigraph quotes President Roosevelt in 1906: So far as this movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce discontent with evil, of a firm determination to punish the authors of evil, whether in industry or politics... Read A Fierce Discontent Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor
After Ever After is a young adult novel written by American author Jordan Sonnenblick and published in 2010. It is the sequel to Sonnenblick’s debut novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, which came out in 2004 but focused on a different protagonist. While the first book revolves around Steven Alper, After Ever After explores his younger brother Jeff’s perspective as he navigates eighth grade alongside his best friend, Tad, and his girlfriend, Lindsey. Sonnenblick, who... Read After Ever After Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Domestic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Immigration, Society: Community
Tags Immigration / Refugee, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sociology, History: World, Biography