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.

A Study in Charlotte

by Brittany Cavallaro

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Self Discovery, Family, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Revenge, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Education, Relationships, Technology, Crime & Law, Modern Classic Fiction

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A Tale of Two Cities

by Charles Dickens

Publication year 1859

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fate

Tags British Literature, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, World History

A Tale of Two Cities, published in 1859, is a historical drama written by Charles Dickens. The backdrop of the novel takes place in London and Paris prior to the French Revolution. The novel, told in three parts, is a literary classic and has been adapted into numerous productions for film, theater, radio, and television.In 1775, a banker named Jarvis Lorry travels to Dover, where he meets a young, half-French woman named Lucie Manette. Together... Read A Tale of Two Cities Summary

A Thousand Acres

by Jane Smiley

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Revenge, Gender Identity, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed

Tags Drama, Historical Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

A Thousand Acres is a historical fiction novel by the American author Jane Smiley. Taking place on an Iowa farm in the 1970s, the novel is a contemporary retelling of William Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear. Shakespeare’s play focuses on King Lear as he determines which of his three daughters will inherit his kingdom depending on how much they flatter him. Smiley’s novel reimagines Shakespeare’s tragedy on an Iowa farm in the 1970s as Larry Cook... Read A Thousand Acres Summary

A Thousand Never Evers

by Shana Burg

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Race, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Community, Education, Politics & Government

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Arts & Culture

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A Thousand Steps into Night

by Traci Chee

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Grief, Hope, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses, Appearance & Reality, Space, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Fathers, Family, Teamwork, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Social Class

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Mythology, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature

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Atmosphere

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Space, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction

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Attack Of The Black Rectangles

by A.S King

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Guilt, Appearance & Reality, Equality, Justice, Literature, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Friendship, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Community, Education, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Education

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Audition

by Katie Kitamura

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Family, Self Discovery, Art

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Literary Fiction, Asian Literature

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August: Osage County

by Tracy Letts

Publication year 2007

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Death

Tags Tragedy, Comedy & Satire, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Dramatic Literature

August: Osage County by American playwright Tracy Letts premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre in June 2007 and debuted on Broadway in December of the same year. When Beverly, the Weston family patriarch, goes missing, a web of estranged family members travel home to gather around his vitriolic spouse, Violet. The play is semi-autobiographical, and Letts explores themes of addiction, suicide, and generational trauma from his own childhood in Oklahoma. In 2008, August: Osage County won... Read August: Osage County Summary

Augustown

by Kei Miller

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Race & Racism, World History, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality

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Automatic Noodle

by Annalee Newitz

Publication year 2025

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Future, Food, Family, Teamwork, Community

Tags Contemporary Literature, Science Fiction

In a near-future San Francisco, California has won its independence from the United States after a brutal war. The new nation's constitution grants civil rights to HEEI, or "human equivalent embodied intelligence," the legal designation for sentient robots. These rights are sharply limited: Bots cannot own property, open bank accounts, vote, or marry. Many work under exploitative gig contracts that claim large percentages of their earnings.On January 8, 2064, a military-grade bot named Staybehind awakens... Read Automatic Noodle Summary

Ava's Man

by Rick Bragg

Publication year 2001

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags US History, Great Depression, Creative Nonfiction, Southern Literature, World History, Biography

Rick Bragg’s Ava’s Man, published in 2001, is a work of creative nonfiction that centers around Charlie Bundrum, the author’s maternal grandfather. Although Bragg’s grandfather died before Bragg was born, the book is inspired by the innumerous stories, anecdotes, and memories of Charlie that the author heard from the people that knew and loved him. Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is known for his nonfiction works that center on family in the Alabama region. Ava’s... Read Ava's Man Summary