Family

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 1928

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Western, Romance, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1953

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags American Civil War


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Disability, History: World

Al Capone Does My Homework, Gennifer Choldenko’s 2013 novel about a boy living on Alcatraz Island with his family, is the third book in Choldenko’s young adult series, Tales from Alcatraz, which follows the adventures of Moose Murphy and his teenage sister, Natalie. The series combines 1930s history with elements of humor, mystery, and suspense while exploring issues of morality, sociology, and developmental health. Natalie, for instance, has a developmental disability, which complicates the family’s... Read Al Capone Does My Homework Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: U.S., History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

All American Boys is a young-adult novel published in 2015. This modern-day narrative tells the story of an incident of police brutality through the alternating voices of two high school students: Rashad, whose chapters are written by author Jason Reynolds, and Quinn, whose chapters are written by author Brendan Kiely. While Rashad and Quinn never actually meet in the novel, their lives intersect in a powerful way after a violent act of racism rocks their... Read All American Boys Summary


Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Allegedly (2017), a young adult contemporary novel by Tiffany D. Jackson, tells the story of Mary Beth Addison, an African American teenager who has spent the last six of her 15 years in custody for allegedly murdering a white baby, Alyssa Richardson. Currently, Mary lives in a group home in Brooklyn with her foster mother and five roommates, who at times, endanger Mary’s life. Mary’s mother, Dawn Cooper—Momma—struggles with mental illness, but she visits Mary... Read Allegedly Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Health / Medicine, Education, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family

Tags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor


Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Christian literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1947

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Play: Tragedy, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Military / War, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

All My Sons is a play by Arthur Miller, first performed in 1947. Based on a true story, All My Sons tells the story of a munitions factory owner who is accused of producing defective engines for aircraft. The play received many awards, ran for 328 shows on Broadway, and has been twice adapted as a film. This guide is based on the 2015 Penguin Classics edition of Miller’s Collected Plays. Plot SummaryJoe Keller is... Read All My Sons Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Poverty, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature, Biography

All Souls: A Family Story from Southie is a 1999 memoir by Michael MacDonald in which the author examines his experiences of growing up in the Old Colony neighborhood of South Boston, also known as Southie. The memoir contextualizes the MacDonald family’s personal tragedies amid the tumultuous historical events that took place in Boston during the 1970s, with a particular focus on the racist violence that occurred during the desegregation busing crisis. Michael Patrick MacDonald was... Read All Souls Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Drama / Tragedy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1946

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Politics / Government

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren is a fictional political novel originally published in 1946 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Robert Penn Warren was an acclaimed novelist and poet from the American South. Along with fellow Southerners Cleanth Brooks and John Crowe Ransom, he was a leading proponent of the literary critical approach known as New Criticism. His best-known novel, All the King’s Men follows the political rise and fall of Governor Willie... Read All the King's Men Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness

Bryn Greenwood’s novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (2016) acknowledges and inverts the features of fairy tales and romance novels to depict a relationship that challenges accepted social values and questions the definition of love itself. Sunk in the depravity and degradation of her father’s drug-dealing lifestyle, eight-year-old Wavy finds her only solace in a questionable attachment to Kellen, a 24-year-old man who is also isolated and longing for some scrap of beauty in... Read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers

Tags Race / Racism, Class, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance