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.

We Are Water

by Wally Lamb

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Art, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+

We Are Water: A Novel (2013) is a work of contemporary literary fiction by American author Wally Lamb, who is known for his psychologically nuanced explorations of family, trauma, and moral complexity. We Are Water centers on the wedding of Annie Oh, an artist who has left her longtime husband, Orion Oh, to marry her partner and art dealer, Viveca Christopholous-Shabbas. Set in New England, the narrative unfolds over the days surrounding the wedding while... Read We Are Water Summary

Weasel

by Cynthia DeFelice

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Place, Family, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, World History

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We Deserve Monuments

by Jas Hammonds

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Community, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism

... Read We Deserve Monuments Summary

We Did OK, Kid

by Anthony Hopkins

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, The Past, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Relationships

... Read We Did OK, Kid Summary

Weedflower

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Justice, Race, Shame & Pride, Loneliness, Family, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Equality, Fear, War

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

Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary

We Fell Apart

by E. Lockhart

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Art, Animals

Tags Romance, Grief & Death, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read We Fell Apart Summary

We Have Always Been Here

by Samra Habib

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Religion & Spirituality, Gender Identity, Community, Friendship, Family, Self Discovery, Conflict, Immigration

Tags Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Immigration & Refugeeism, Religion & Spirituality, Biography

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Welding with Children

by Tim Gautreaux

Publication year 1999

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Hope, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Grandparents

Tags Humor, Education, Education, Southern Literature

Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children” debuted in the March 1997 issue of The Atlantic. Gautreaux was born in Louisiana, and his novels and short stories, like this one, draw from his experience of growing up in a Southern, blue-collar family. His characters include a range of rural Louisiana residents, many of whom struggle with societal and generational changes. Gautreaux has received numerous awards, most notably the 1999 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for... Read Welding with Children Summary

Wellness

by Nathan Hill

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Midlife, Nature Versus Nurture, Marriage, Social Class, Art, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

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We Need To Talk About Kevin

by Lionel Shriver

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Mothers, Daughters & Sons, Siblings, Forgiveness, Fame, Family, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Incarceration, Relationships, Grief & Death, Trauma & Abuse, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Psychology, Psychology

We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver. It is an epistolary novel, comprising the letters that Eva Khatchadourian writes to her husband Franklin in the aftermath of their son’s crime. The novel explores themes of nihilism, motherhood, the relationship between violence and depravity, and much more. The book won the Orange Prize for Literature in 2005 and was adapted into an acclaimed feature film starring Tilda Swindon and John... Read We Need To Talk About Kevin Summary

We Were Here

by Matt de la Peña

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Arts & Culture

We Were Here is a Newbury-Award-winning, young adult novel written by Matt De La Pena. Published in 2011, the first person narrative is written in diary form in the voice of the teenaged protagonist, Miguel Castaneda. The story begins with Miguel’s description of his admission to juvenile hall, a detention facility near his family home in Stockton, California. His father, a member of the US Army, was killed in action the preceding year. While the... Read We Were Here Summary

We Were the Lucky Ones

by Georgia Hunter

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History

We Were the Lucky Ones, written by Georgia Hunter and published in 2017, is a historical novel based on the actual experiences of the author’s family during World War II. Hunter’s grandfather, Addy Kurc, came from a family of Jews in Radom, Poland. The book follows the story of Addy, his parents Nechuma and Sol, and his siblings Genek, Mila, Jakob, and Halina, along with their spouses, as they struggle to survive the Holocaust and... Read We Were the Lucky Ones Summary

We Were the Mulvaneys

by Joyce Carol Oates

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Trust & Doubt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

We Were the Mulvaneys is a novel by American writer Joyce Carol Oates, originally published in the US in 1996. Set largely in the rural Northeastern United States in the 1970s, this story deals with the myth of the ideal American family and the ruinous effects it can have when real-life events threaten the appearance of familial unity. After having been featured as an Oprah Book Club selection in January 2001, the novel became a... Read We Were the Mulvaneys Summary

What Comes After

by JoAnne Tompkins

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

... Read What Comes After Summary