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.

Ways to Make Sunshine

by Renée Watson

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Childhood & Youth, Love, Food, Equality, Fathers, Perseverance, Conflict, Grandparents

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

by Karen Joy Fowler

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Animals, Memory

Tags Psychology, Incarceration, Animals, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves is Karen Joy Fowler’s seventh novel. The book was first published in 2013. The following year, it won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Fowler said that the book takes inspiration from a real 1930s experiment. In an interview with Carmen Maria Machado published in The American Reader, Fowler states that she believes that using animals for research purposes is wrong, and... Read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Summary

We Are All Made of Molecules

by Susin Nielsen

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Siblings, Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+

We Are All Made of Molecules (May 2015) is by young adult and middle-grade author Susin Nielsen. Nielsen spent many years as a scriptwriter for Canadian television shows, including Degrassi Junior High. Her writing focuses humorously on the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Like the characters in We Are All Made of Molecules, Nielsen lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her other titles include Word Nerd (2010), Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom (2010)... Read We Are All Made of Molecules Summary

We Are Displaced

by Malala Yousafzai

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Immigration, War, Community, Safety & Danger, Femininity, Politics & Government, Family, Education, Gender Identity, Fear, Grief, Memory, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Politics & Government, Social Justice, World History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Gender & Feminism, Education, Biography

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We Are Not Free

by Traci Chee

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Friendship, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Asian Literature, Race & Racism, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, World History

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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

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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

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We Don't Talk About Carol

by Kristen L. Berry

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Race, The Past, Family, Truth & Lies

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

We Don’t Talk About Carol (2025) is the debut domestic thriller by Kristen L. Berry. The novel follows 38-year-old Sydney Singleton, a former crime reporter who discovers a long-buried family secret while cleaning out her recently deceased grandmother’s house in Raleigh, North Carolina. After learning that she had an aunt, Carol, who disappeared in 1965 around the same time as five other local Black girls, Sydney begins an investigation that forces her to confront her... Read We Don't Talk About Carol 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