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.

Twisted

by Emily McIntire

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Beauty, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, New Adult, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

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Twisted Hate

by Ana Huang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Beauty, Self Discovery, Friendship, Family, Appearance & Reality, Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health

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Two Boys Kissing

by David Levithan

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, The Past, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Depression & Suicide, Love & Sexuality, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

David Levithan’s 2013 young adult novel Two Boys Kissing is narrated from the perspective of the gay men who died during the 1980s HIV/AIDS epidemic. This chorus, resembling that of ancient Greek theater, observes the novel’s present-day characters—several gay teenage boys in neighboring American small towns—as they explore love, relationship, and identity. The central narrative follows two boys, Harry and Craig, who attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest continuous kiss by kissing... Read Two Boys Kissing Summary

Two Kinds

by Amy Tan

Publication year 1989

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Family

Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is a short story from the collection The Joy Luck Club, which was originally published in 1989. The full short story collection was adapted for film as the eponymous Joy Luck Club in 1993. Amy Tan and Ronald Bass adapted the screenplay. The series portrays first and second-generation Chinese immigrants living out the “American dream” in current day Chinatown, San Francisco. Through a series of 16 linked stories, four women... Read Two Kinds Summary

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure

by Dorothy Allison

Publication year 1995

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Family, Gender Identity, Femininity, Masculinity, Race, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Women`s Studies, Love & Sexuality, Biography

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure is a 1995 memoir by American author and activist Dorothy Allison, a native of Greenville, South Carolina. A coming-of-age story that examines feminism and lesbian identity in the context of the patriarchal norms of the South, the book uses both narrative and photographs to tell the stories of the women in Allison’s family and their complex relationships with the men who both loved and abused them. Her... Read Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Summary

Two Roads

by Joseph Bruchac

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Race, Friendship, Self Discovery, Justice, Family

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

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Two Wolves

by Tristan Bancks

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Family, Self Discovery, Justice, Good & Evil

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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Uncle Vanya

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1897

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Grief, Regret, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Drama, Russian Literature, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

Uncle Vanya is a play in four acts written by celebrated Russian playwright and author Anton Chekhov (1860-1904). It is set in a provincial Russian estate and focuses on the tensions and disappointments between the disaffected Ivan “Uncle Vanya” Voitski and his circle of family and friends. As the characters navigate their intertwined lives, they grapple with regret, unrequited love, and the search for meaning and hope. The play reflects the uncertainty and change of... Read Uncle Vanya Summary

Under Siege

by Eric Trump

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Family, Perseverance, Fathers, Nation, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Politics & Government

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Under The Mesquite

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Immigration, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Dramatic Literature, Immigration & Refugeeism, Poverty, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Arts & Culture

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a coming-of-age story about the importance of family, heritage, and perseverance. This young adult novel comes directly from McCall’s own experiences as a young Mexican immigrant, a writer with a dream, and a teenager who watches her mother die from cancer. Under the Mesquite infuses poetic form, free verse, imagery, and sprinkles of the Spanish language in order to portray a bildungsroman in which a young girl... Read Under The Mesquite Summary

Unlikely Animals

by Annie Hartnett

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Community, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Memory, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Animals, Environment, Fathers, Siblings

Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Animals, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

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Unsheltered

by Barbara Kingsolver

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Immigration, Science & Technology, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Relationships, Politics & Government, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

Unsheltered was written by American author Barbara Kingsolver and first published in 2018. The novel explores themes of family, marriage, science in society, social justice issues, overcoming personal challenges, and new possibilities. Kingsolver is the recipient of the National Humanities Medal, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, and winner of the Orange Prize, Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and PEN/Faulkner award, and she has received many other recognitions by national and international associations and publications. Unsheltered is her... Read Unsheltered Summary

Unstoppable

by Tim Green

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Disability, Coming of Age, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Trauma & Abuse

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