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.

In Country

by Bobbie Ann Mason

Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Family, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Mental Illness, Education, Education, American Literature, Southern Literature

In Country, published in 1985, is Bobbie Ann Mason's debut novel. The story takes place in Hopewell, Kentucky, in 1984, 10 years after the end of US involvement in Vietnam. Mason grew up on a dairy farm outside Mayfield, Kentucky, and is thus well-acquainted with the rural South and its people. The classic coming-of-age story follows protagonist Samantha Hughes (known as Sam) as she seeks to discover the truth about her father and his death... Read In Country Summary

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd

by Ana Menéndez

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Family

Tags US History, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd is Ana Menéndez’s 2001 collection of eleven linked short stories, largely set in Miami, which revolve around the experiences of Cuban immigrants and their American-born children. The New York Times named the collection a Notable Book of the Year, and the title story was awarded the Pushcart Prize for short fiction. The collection includes a diverse mix of realistic fiction, magical realism, and allegory; it explores themes of... Read In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd Summary

Independent People

by Halldor K Laxness

Publication year 1934

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Family, Wins & Losses

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Poverty

Originally published in Icelandic two volumes in 1934 and 1935, Independent People is a historical novel by Icelandic author Halldór Laxness. It was first translated into English in 1946. Subtitled “An Epic,” the work is an example of social realism and is considered one of the author’s masterpieces, cited in his 1955 Nobel Prize in Literature. The novel follows the stubborn sheep farmer Gudbjartur “Bjartur” Jonsson, who, after 18 years of servitude, purchases his own... Read Independent People Summary

Infinite Country

by Patricia Engel

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Immigration, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mythology, Immigration & Refugeeism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Relationships, American Literature, Latin American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction

... Read Infinite Country Summary

Inkling

by Kenneth Oppel

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Fathers, Siblings, Art

Tags Magical Realism, Children`s Literature, Humor, Arts & Culture, Fantasy

... Read Inkling Summary

In Pieces

by Sally Field

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Mental Health, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Art, Beauty, Fame, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism

... Read In Pieces Summary

Inside Out And Back Again

by Thanhha Lai

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature

The story opens in February 1975. Hà lives with her mother and three older brothers (Brother Quang, Brother Vũ, and Brother Khôi) in Saigon, South Vietnam. Hà knows her father, a naval officer, only through Mother’s stories and memories; he disappeared nine years earlier, a victim of the Communist Army of North Vietnam. Hà learns fractions, practices embroidery, and celebrates the start of the new lunar year on Tết (February 11). As spring and Hà’s... Read Inside Out And Back Again Summary

Interpreter of Maladies

by Jhumpa Lahiri

Publication year 1999

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

Interpreter of Maladies is a 1999 short story collection by Jhumpa Lahiri, who is an American of Indian (specifically Bengali) heritage. Lahiri’s publishing debut, the collection was well-received and garnered many awards, including the 2000 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction and the PEN/Hemingway Prize. Its nine stories are works of literary realism that consider the immigrant experience in the United States and contemporary Indian life. They have been held up as a model for high cultural... Read Interpreter of Maladies Summary

In the American Society

by Gish Jen

Publication year 1986

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Family, Immigration

Tags Race & Racism, Immigration & Refugeeism

“In the American Society” is a short story by Chinese American writer Gish Jen. It was first published in 1986 in the literary quarterly The Southern Review and was reprinted in 1999 in her short fiction collection, Who’s Irish?Jen, like the story’s narrator, is a second-generation American of Chinese descent, and her story tells of the trials faced by two first-generation Americans as they try to assimilate into their new culture while maintaining old ways... Read In the American Society Summary

In the Land of the Free

by Edith Maude Eaton

Publication year 1912

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Family, Mothers, Equality

Tags Chinese Literature, Race & Racism

“In the Land of the Free” is the first short story written by British Canadian author Edith Maude Eaton, who was of British and Chinese descent. As one of the first Asian North American writers, her works explored themes of racial discrimination, the difficulties of assimilation, and the effects of the legal system on immigration and kinship. “In the Land of the Free,” originally published by the Montreal Daily Witness in 1890, explores the latter... Read In the Land of the Free Summary