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.

Little Princes

by Conor Grennan

Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes War, Guilt, Family, Friendship, Teamwork

Tags Travel Literature, Inspirational, Trauma & Abuse, Military & War, Love & Sexuality, Social Justice, Biography

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Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, originally published in two volumes in 1868, is set in New England and inspired by her own family and life events. It is a coming-of-age domestic novel about four sisters who grow up during the American Civil War. Due to its popularity, Alcott wrote two sequels: Little Men (1871) and Jo’s Boys (1886). The novel has been adapted many times for the screen, including the 1994 film for which Winona Ryder... Read Little Women Summary

Lives of Girls and Women

by Alice Munro

Publication year 1971

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Family, Mothers, Social Class

Tags Gender & Feminism, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro was published in 1971 and is composed of eight interlinked short stories. Munro examines the everyday life of a young girl, Del Jordan, as she comes of age in a small, Canadian town during the 1940s, against the backdrop of World War II. Inspired by Munro’s childhood, the narrator explores the setting, including local wildlife and the town’s inhabitants, and focuses on themes surrounding coming of age... Read Lives of Girls and Women Summary

Locomotion

by Jacqueline Woodson

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Race, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Beauty, Literature, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture

Locomotion, Jacqueline Woodson’s 2003 novel in verse, follows the perspective of Lonnie Collins Motion, nicknamed Locomotion. After his parents die in a fire and his sister is adopted, Lonnie grieves and navigates life, first in a group home and then with Miss Edna, his foster mother. Through poetry, he slowly finds joy in life again, highlighting the themes of The Search for Identity and Belonging, The Healing Power of Writing, and The Enduring Support of... Read Locomotion Summary

Lone Women

by Victor Lavalle

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Environment, Family, Community

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Western, Fantasy

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Longbourn

by Jo Baker

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Sexual Identity, Future, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Equality, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, World History, Regency Era

Longbourn (2013) is a work of fiction by British author Jo Baker, who is the author of several other novels of historical fiction and literary suspense. Longbourn depicts what life is like for the servants of the Bennet family of Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice. While events in Austen’s book frame this novel, Longbourn follows the inner lives of housemaid Sarah, housekeeper Mrs. Hill, and James Smith, the mysterious footman who shows up... Read Longbourn Summary

Long Day's Journey Into Night

by Eugene O'Neill

Publication year 1956

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Family, Community, Siblings, Midlife

Tags Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction, Drama, Tragedy, Life-Inspired Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse

Long Day’s Journey into Night is widely considered Eugene O’Neill’s best play. It was published posthumously under the pseudonym Tyrone and is an autobiographical work about O’Neill’s family. The play was originally published in 1956 with a first showing in Sweden that same year. The play has been adapted into film several times, including productions in 1962 and 1996, as well as television adaptations in 1973, 1982, and 1987. O’Neill was awarded the Nobel Prize... Read Long Day's Journey Into Night Summary

Long Island

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Gender Identity, Midlife, Place, Marriage, Self Discovery, Immigration

Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

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Long Way Down

by Jason Reynolds

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Book DetailsLong Way Down (2017) by Jason Reynolds is a young adult novel in free verse about Will Holloman, a young Black boy struggling to make a decision after his brother, Shawn, is shot dead in the street. Will plans to seek revenge, but before he can leave the elevator of his building, he is greeted by a series of ghosts who confuse and complicate his perspective on Shawn’s death and the idea of revenge... Read Long Way Down Summary

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

by Jason Reynolds

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

A National Book Award finalist, Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks (2019) by Jason Reynolds chronicles 10 stories of adolescents attending Latimer Middle School. The stories take place within 10 blocks of the school as each character journeys homeward at the end of the school day. Look Both Ways follows the lauded Ghost and Long Way Down, both of which explore the experiences of Black young adults in America. In Look Both... Read Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks Summary

Look Closer

by David Ellis

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Revenge, Family, Trust & Doubt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

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