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 Family Supper

by Kazuo Ishiguro

Publication year 1983

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Family, Siblings

Tags Japanese Literature, Grief & Death, Horror & Suspense, Asian History, Education, Education, British Literature, Asian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Kazuo Ishiguro is an English and Japanese author who is most well-known for prizewinning novels such as The Remains of the Day (1989) and Never Let Me Go (2005), the latter of which was adapted into a film in 2010. “A Family Supper” is a 1983 short story that was originally published in a volume of Ishiguro’s works, titled Firebird 2: Writing Today.The short story begins when an unnamed narrator returns to his homeland of... Read A Family Supper Summary

A Fierce Discontent

by Michael McGerr

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Politics & Government, Education, Education, US History, Business & Economics, World History

Michael McGerr’s 2003 nonfiction book, A Fierce Discontent: The Rise and Fall of the Progressive Movement in America, 1870-1920, is titled after a phenomenon President Theodore Roosevelt observed in the early 20th century. The book’s epigraph quotes President Roosevelt in 1906:  So far as this movement of agitation throughout the country takes the form of a fierce discontent with evil, of a firm determination to punish the authors of evil, whether in industry or politics... Read A Fierce Discontent Summary

After Ever After

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Grief, Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Health, Grief & Death, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor

After Ever After is a young adult novel written by American author Jordan Sonnenblick and published in 2010. It is the sequel to Sonnenblick’s debut novel, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, which came out in 2004 but focused on a different protagonist. While the first book revolves around Steven Alper, After Ever After explores his younger brother Jeff’s perspective as he navigates eighth grade alongside his best friend, Tad, and his girlfriend, Lindsey. Sonnenblick, who... Read After Ever After Summary

A Game of Thrones

by George R. R. Martin

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Femininity, Grief, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Justice, Social Class, War, Economics, Siblings, Mothers, Fathers, Marriage, Family, Daughters & Sons, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Disability, Gender Identity, Birth, Childhood & Youth, Death, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Social Class, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Trauma & Abuse, Grief & Death

A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary

A Gathering of Days

by Joan W. Blos

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Joy, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-1832 is the best-known book by children’s author and educator Joan W. Blos. The novel is presented as the fictional journal of Catherine Hall, a young girl living in New Hampshire before the Civil War. Through Catherine’s journal entries, the novel portrays the daily life, challenges, and changes in a young girl’s world over two years, including personal loss, the complexities of friendship, and an encounter... Read A Gathering of Days Summary

A Girl Named Disaster

by Nancy Farmer

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Loneliness, Femininity, Animals, Environment, Place, Family, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

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

A Girl Named Disaster (1996) is a novel by Nancy Farmer. At the start of the novel, 11-year-old Nhamo lives in her remote Mozambique village with her late mother’s family. When the local doctor, or muvuki, decides that Nhamo is to blame for her family’s recent misfortune, her aunt and uncle decide to marry her off in an arranged marriage. Desperate to avoid this fate, Nhamo flees the village and sets out in a boat... Read A Girl Named Disaster Summary

A Great Reckoning

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Memory, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Grief, Perseverance, Nostalgia, Conflict, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse

A Great Reckoning (2016) is the 12th novel in the Inspector Gamache series. The series consists of contemporary mysteries written by the Canadian author Louise Penny. Like the other novels in the series, A Great Reckoning revolves around the small village of Three Pines, Quebec, and its inhabitants. The novel includes a standalone murder mystery plot and references to events in other novels within the series; Penny explores themes of parenthood, loss, and betrayal. This... Read A Great Reckoning Summary

A Handful of Dust

by Evelyn Waugh

Publication year 1934

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Grief, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Family, Marriage, Social Class

Tags Satirical Literature, Classic Fiction, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Humor

A Handful of Dust is a satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh, published in 1934. The novel satirizes the lives of the English gentry and middle class in the interwar period. Waugh’s highly regarded satire is based on his own experience of divorce and unhappiness, as well as his understanding of the English class system. The novel has been dramatized for radio, theater, and screen. This guide uses the 2018 Penguin English Library edition.Content Warning: The... Read A Handful of Dust Summary

A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Art, Beauty

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Arts & Culture

... Read A Handful of Stars Summary