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.

The Tin Drum

by Gunter Grass

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Regret, War, Family, Memory

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, German Literature, Classic Fiction

The Tin Drum is a 1959 novel by German author Gunther Grass. In the novel, a man named Oskar tells the story of his life, particularly focusing on his experiences during World War II. The novel employs satire, absurdism, magical realism, and allegory to wrestle with the pain and trauma of life under Nazi rule. The Tin Drum was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1979 and has been hailed as a landmark in literary... Read The Tin Drum Summary

The Titan's Curse

by Rick Riordan

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hate & Anger, Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Relationships, Arts & Culture, Military & War, American Literature, Children`s Literature

The Titan’s Curse (2007) is the third installment in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, following The Lightning Thief (2005) and The Sea of Monsters (2006) and preceding The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008) and The Last Olympian (2009). The series centers around the adventures of Percy Jackson, a boy who is the son of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally Jackson. Percy learns that he... Read The Titan's Curse Summary

The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Regret, Nostalgia, Appearance & Reality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Death, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Fathers, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Grief & Death

The Truth About Forever (2004) is a young adult contemporary romance by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows Macy Queen, a teen girl struggling to heal from the tragic death of her father, only to find that the answers lie not in chasing perfection and control but embracing the unpredictable and chaotic joys of life. The Truth About Forever is Sarah Dessen’s sixth published novel and won the 2004 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Urban... Read The Truth About Forever Summary

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle

by Leslie Connor

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Family

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Children`s Literature, Grief & Death, Realistic Fiction

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle (2018) by Leslie Connor is a middle-grade novel following Mason Buttle, a 12-year-old boy with learning disabilities who is grieving the recent loss of his best friend, Benny. Mason found Benny dead in his family orchard, and the police suspect there is more to the story than Mason will reveal. Mason soon makes a new friend, Calvin Chumsky; when Calvin goes missing too, Mason wonders if his bad... Read The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Summary

The Tryout

by Christina Soontornvat, Illustr. Joanna Cacao

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Teamwork, Perseverance, Memory, Nostalgia, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Sports, Race & Racism, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Biography

... Read The Tryout Summary

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

by Ayana Mathis

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, World History

Ayana Mathis’s 2012 novel The Twelve Tribes of Hattie follows the lives of the Shepherds, a black family struggling to succeed in Philadelphia between 1925 and 1980. At the center of the family is their inscrutable matriarch, Hattie, who remains an enigma to her children even as they grow into adulthood. With only two exceptions, each of the book’s chapters delves into the mind of one of Hattie’s children (and one granddaughter) over a span... Read The Twelve Tribes of Hattie Summary