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 Clash of Kings

by George R. R. Martin

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Disability, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, War, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Originally published in 1998, A Clash of Kings is an epic high fantasy novel by American author George R. R. Martin. It is the second in a series of seven novels under the title A Song of Ice and Fire, which began in 1991 with A Game of Thrones. For his series, Martin drew inspiration from medieval historical conflicts, most prominently the War of the Roses and the Hundred Years’ War. In 2011, David Benioff... Read A Clash of Kings Summary

A Column of Fire

by Ken Follett

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Family, Marriage, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, British Literature

Written in 2017 by Ken Follett, A Column of Fire is a historical fiction/historical romance novel and the third book in his Kingsbridge series, following The Pillars of the Earth (1989) and World Without End (2007). This novel is a loose sequel to the previous two books and is set against the backdrop of 16th-century Europe. Spanning both decades and continents, it follows the lives of a cast of characters who are caught in the... Read A Column of Fire Summary

A Complicated Kindness

by Miriam Toews

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Religion & Spirituality, Community, Loneliness, Fathers, Daughters & Sons

Tags Coming of Age, Depression & Suicide, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Miriam Toews’s A Complicated Kindness (2004) is about Nomi Nickel, an adolescent living in the religious Mennonite town of East Village whose coming of age takes place against the backdrop of her family’s unraveling. Toews, who grew up in the Mennonite community of Steinbach, Manitoba, is the author of several novels set in Mennonite communities, many of which are critical of aspects of the faith. This novel, Toews’s third, has garnered considerable acclaim and many... Read A Complicated Kindness Summary

A Corner of the Universe

by Ann M. Martin

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Coming of Age, Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Grief & Death, Depression & Suicide, Health, Mental Illness, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Hattie Owen’s life changes the summer she turns 12 and meets the young uncle she never knew existed in Ann M. Martin’s middle-grade novel, A Corner of the Universe (2002). Uncle Adam has been kept a secret because of his mental problems. Adults have trouble handling his emotional extremes, but shy Hattie finds a true friend in her exuberant uncle. Adam teaches Hattie to explore life beyond the safety of her front porch. As Hattie... Read A Corner of the Universe Summary

Across The Desert

by Dusti Bowling

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Mothers, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Family

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

... Read Across The Desert Summary

A Darker Shade of Magic

by V. E. Schwab

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Family, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Published in 2015, V. E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic is a young adult fantasy novel and the first installment of the Shades of Magic series. Kell Maresh, one of the last Antari magicians, possesses the rare ability to travel between parallel worlds. When a dangerous artifact from a forbidden realm falls into Kell’s possession, he and a thief named Lila Bard become entangled in a perilous adventure. The novel—which received a Goodreads Choice... Read A Darker Shade of Magic Summary

ADHD 2.0

by Edward M. Hallowell

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Conflict, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Science & Technology

Tags Psychology, Parenting, Self-Improvement, Health, Health, Education

... Read ADHD 2.0 Summary

A Different Kind of Power

by Jacinda Ardern

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Future, Place, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Memoir & Autobiography

... Read A Different Kind of Power Summary

A Dog Called Homeless

by Sarah Lean

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Disability, Childhood & Youth, Death, Friendship, Community, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Gender Identity, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature

... Read A Dog Called Homeless Summary

A Dog's Life

by Ann M. Martin

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Death, Animals, Food, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Animals, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

... Read A Dog's Life Summary

A Dog's Purpose

by W. Bruce Cameron

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Humor, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction

A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans is a novel by Bruce W. Cameron and is the first in his A Dog’s Purpose series of novels. Written in 2010, the novel was a New York Times bestseller for 49 weeks. The novel is unique in that it is narrated by a dog. The dog lives four lives over the course of the novel, seeking a purpose for his life during each of his incarnations. In... Read A Dog's Purpose Summary

A Dream Called Home

by Reyna Grande

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Immigration, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Immigration & Refugeeism, Life-Inspired Fiction, Coming of Age, Parenting, Arts & Culture, Women`s Studies, US History, Biography

A Dream Called Home is a memoir published in 2018 by the award-winning Mexican American author Reyna Grande. The book is the sequel to her bestselling 2012 memoir, The Distance Between Us, which addresses Reyna’s experiences crossing the US-Mexico border as a child. The title alludes to the American dream while also gesturing to varied concepts of home. This summary refers to the 2018 English-language edition published by Atria Books.Plot SummaryReyna divides her memoir into... Read A Dream Called Home Summary