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 Shape of Thunder

by Jasmine Warga

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Justice, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Christian, Grief & Death, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Shell Seekers

by Rosamunde Pilcher

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory, Siblings, Mothers, Nostalgia

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

IntroductionPublished in 1987, The Shell Seekers was written by Rosamunde Pilcher and is her first bestseller. Inspired by Pilcher’s conversation with Tom Dunne at St. Martin’s Press about her children’s desire to see their mother become famous, the novel is the author’s attempt to create a story for women based on the experiences of her generation. Set in 1984, it tells the story of Penelope Stern Keeling and her children (Nancy, Olivia, and Noel) and... Read The Shell Seekers Summary

The Shipping News

by Annie Proulx

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Community

Tags American Literature, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse

Annie Proulx’s novel The Shipping News (1993) is a work of literary fiction that earned both the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. The story follows Quoyle, a large, ineffectual third-rate newspaperman from upstate New York. After a series of personal calamities, including the deaths of his parents and his cruel, unfaithful wife, Quoyle moves with his two young daughters and paternal aunt to their ancestral home on the stark coast of... Read The Shipping News Summary

The Shoemaker's Wife

by Adriana Trigiani

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Joy, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Place, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Immigration, Politics & Government, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance

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The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace

by Jeff Hobbs

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Social Class, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, Education

Tags Race & Racism, Crime & Law, Sociology

The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace (2014) by Jeff Hobbs is a biography that chronicles the life of Rob Peace, a brilliant young Black man. Raised in East Orange, a crime-ridden suburb of Newark, New Jersey, Rob overcame numerous barriers to study biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Yale University. Despite academic success and a seemingly bright future, his life was tragically cut short when he was killed in a drug-related shooting at the... Read The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace Summary

The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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The Sign of the Beaver

by Elizabeth George Speare

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Masculinity, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical adventure novel for middle grade readers written by Elizabeth George Speare. Based on a true story that took place in 1760s Colonial America, the book follows the adventures of a young English boy who, while living alone in the Maine wilderness, befriends a local Penobscot boy who teaches him how to survive. The experience changes his views of himself, his family and fellow colonists... Read The Sign of the Beaver Summary

The Skin I'm In

by Sharon G. Flake

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Self Discovery, Shame & Pride, Grief, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Skin of Our Teeth

by Thornton Wilder

Publication year 1942

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Hope, Perseverance, War, Family, Future, The Past, Sexual Identity, Hate & Anger, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Drama, Symbolic Narrative, World War II, Education, Education, American Literature, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Thornton Wilder’s dramatic masterpiece, The Skin of Our Teeth, opened on Broadway in November of 1942, less than a year after the United States entered World War II. On the heels of the Great Depression (1929-1939), the war meant more sacrifice and hardship for the average American family, and another era of fear, loss, and anxiety about the future of humanity. The play is a satirical allegory for the human race’s seemingly indomitable will to... Read The Skin of Our Teeth Summary

The Sniper

by Liam O'Flaherty

Publication year 1923

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes War, Family, Guilt

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Irish Literature, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

“The Sniper” is a short story by Liam O’Flaherty. It was first published in the British socialist newspaper, The New Leader in January 1923. The story takes place within the span of a few hours during an afternoon in June 1922 (the beginning of the Irish Civil War). The Irish Civil War was a one-year struggle that began in June 1922 and concluded in May 1923.“The Sniper” portrays the experience of a Republican (rebel) sniper... Read The Sniper Summary

The Snow Child

by Eowyn Ivey

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Fantasy, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fairy Tale & Folklore

Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child, published in 2012, is a frank retelling of the Russian fairy tale Snegurochka, or The Snow Maiden. Ivey reimagines the story as the tale of a childless couple, a feral child, and the bleak yet beautiful wilderness of Alaska. The narrative, which imbues historical fiction with a touch of magical realism, was shortlisted for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. It is Ivey’s debut novel.Plot SummaryIt is 1920. Mabel and... Read The Snow Child Summary

The Someday Birds

by Sally J. Pla

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Disability, Childhood & Youth, Environment

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children`s Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction

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