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.

For One More Day

by Mitch Albom

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Forgiveness, Memory, Fathers, Mothers, Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Self-Improvement

For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, tells the story of Charles “Chick” Benetto, a retired baseball player fallen on hard times. The story is framed by a prologue and epilogue where a narrator explains that they are telling the story from Chick’s perspective, “because I’m not sure you would believe this story if you didn’t hear it in his voice” (7). The book is comprised of short chapters told in the first person, and... Read For One More Day Summary

Forty Autumns

by Nina Willner

Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, War

Tags European History, Cold War

Published in 2016, Forty Autumns is a work of narrative nonfiction by Nina Willner. A New York Times bestseller, this family memoir chronicles the true story of Willner’s family, which was divided for four decades by the Berlin Wall. It centers on the experience of Hanna, Willner’s mother, who made a daring escape from Soviet-occupied East Germany in 1948 to build a new life in America. Hanna’s parents and eight siblings remained behind the Iron... Read Forty Autumns Summary

Foster

by Claire Keegan

Publication year 2010

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Childhood & Youth

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

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Foul Lady Fortune

by Chloe Gong

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Nation, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Asian History, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History

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Four Eyes

by Rex Ogle

Publication year 2023

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Childhood & Youth, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age, Bullying

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Four Perfect Pebbles

by Lila Perl, Marion Blumenthal Lazan

Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Memory, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Love, Race, Death, The Past, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags World War II, Holocaust

Four Perfect Pebbles is a Holocaust memoir written by Marion Blumenthal Lazan and co-authored by Lila Perl. It was originally published in 1996, 51 years after Marion and her family were liberated from the death train by Russian troops in Nazi Germany. Marion was five years old when she and her family moved to a refugee camp in Holland, which was later converted into a transit camp for Auschwitz. The Blumenthals also lived at the... Read Four Perfect Pebbles Summary

Framed!

by James Ponti

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor

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Frankly in Love

by David Yoon

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Immigration, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Friendship, Family, Love, Coming of Age

Tags Coming of Age, Romance, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Frankly in Love is a coming-of-age novel written by David Yoon and published in 2019 by Penguin Young Readers, Putnam. The story revolves around Frank Li, a Korean American teenager torn between his American identity and the traditional expectations of his Korean parents. With its engaging storyline and exploration of cultural identity, Frankly in Love tackles themes of love, family expectations, and self-discovery. David Yoon’s writing skillfully portrays the complexities of Frank’s experiences as he... Read Frankly in Love Summary

Freaky Friday

by Mary Rodgers

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Self Discovery, Love, Coming of Age, Gender Identity, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Siblings, Beauty

Tags Fantasy, Humor, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age

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Freedom

by Jonathan Franzen

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Parenting, US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

IntroductionFreedom is a 2010 novel by American author Jonathan Franzen. The story focuses on the Berglunds, a dysfunctional family living in Minnesota. The novel examines themes of family, freedom, depression, addiction, marriage, and more. Freedom was a selection for Oprah’s book club and won great critical acclaim.Content warning: This guide contains references to alcohol addiction and rape, which are discussed in the source text. Plot Summary The book unfolds across four parts. Part 1, “Good... Read Freedom Summary

Freedom Train

by Dorothy Sterling

Publication year 1954

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Disability, Femininity, Race, Environment, Family, Teamwork, Colonialism, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags World History, Biography, Children`s Literature, US History, Historical Nonfiction, American Civil War

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Free Lunch

by Rex Ogle

Publication year 2019

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Mothers, Shame & Pride, Hope, Gratitude, Hate & Anger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, Biography

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Freewater

by Amina Luqman-Dawson

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Community, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger, Friendship, Family, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, African American Literature, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, World History

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