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.
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is Erika L. Sánchez’s debut novel. Published in 2017, the book is a young adult coming-of-age story set in contemporary Chicago. It is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Julia Reyes as she navigates her grief and struggles with mental health, familial relationships, and cultural expectations after her older sister Olga’s unexpected death. The book has won several awards, including the Thomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award... Read I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Immigration / Refugee, Mythology
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Parenting, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Animals
Publication year 2022
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Race / Racism
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Humor
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography
If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood by Gregg Olsen is narrative nonfiction true crime book published in 2019. It documents the story of Nikki, Sami, and Tori Knotek, sisters who survived living with their mother, Shelly Knotek, who would ultimately be responsible for the infamous Raymond torture killings in Washington State. Olsen specializes in writing crime-related narratives about people who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances... Read If You Tell Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Humor, Contemporary Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery
Tags Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction
Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much Is True centers on the illness of Thomas Birdsey, a middle-aged man who has had schizophrenia for the previous 20 years. Narrated by Thomas’s twin brother, Dominick, the novel opens with Thomas having left the group home where he lives and him cutting off his hand with a knife he took from his stepfather’s weapon collection. Thomas performs this action after reading a Bible verse that commands the reader... Read I Know This Much Is True Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, War On Terrorism / Iraq War
Lois Duncan’s I Know What You Did Last Summer (1973) follows a group of teenagers in an American town as they deal with the ramifications of accidentally killing a young boy. The novel was adapted as a major motion picture in 1997. Its themes include guilt, selfishness, and revenge. The novel opens with protagonist Julie James nervously opening a letter. Subverting the reader’s expectations, Duncan makes the letter an acceptance letter from Smith College rather... Read I Know What You Did Last Summer Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2011, I Let You Go is Clare Mackintosh’s debut novel. In 2016 it won Theakson’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. That same year, the French translation won Best International Novel at the Cognac Festival Prix du Polar Awards. In 2017, publisher Little, Brown said it had sold more than one million copies. Mackintosh spent 12 years in the police force before becoming a writer. She has said that a real-life... Read I Let You Go Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Family
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Humor
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Humor