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.

Ali Cross

by James Patterson

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fathers, Daughters & Sons, Community, Truth & Lies, Perseverance

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

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A Lie Of The Mind

by Sam Shepard

Publication year 1985

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Family, Nation

Tags US History, Dramatic Literature

A Lie of the Mind is a play by American playwright Sam Shephard. A Lie of the Mind was first performed at the Promenade Theater in New York City on December 5, 1985, and ran for 186 performances, closing on June 1, 1986. A work of psychological realism, the play charts the dysfunction of two American families in the 1980s. The premise is that a man named Jake has severely beaten his wife, Beth, forcing... Read A Lie Of The Mind Summary

All American Boys

by Brendan Kiely, Jason Reynolds

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Education, Education, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction

All American Boys is a young-adult novel published in 2015. This modern-day narrative tells the story of an incident of police brutality through the alternating voices of two high school students: Rashad, whose chapters are written by author Jason Reynolds, and Quinn, whose chapters are written by author Brendan Kiely. While Rashad and Quinn never actually meet in the novel, their lives intersect in a powerful way after a violent act of racism rocks their... Read All American Boys Summary

Allegedly

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Allegedly (2017), a young adult contemporary novel by Tiffany D. Jackson (Monday's Not Coming, Let Me Hear a Rhyme), tells the story of Mary Beth Addison, an African American teenager who has spent the last six of her 15 years in custody for allegedly murdering a white baby, Alyssa Richardson. Currently, Mary lives in a group home in Brooklyn with her foster mother and five roommates, who at times, endanger Mary’s life. Mary’s mother, Dawn... Read Allegedly Summary

All Fours

by Miranda July

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Sexual Identity, Aging, Midlife, Future, The Past, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Family

Tags Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Humor

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All In

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality

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All My Rage

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies, Friendship, Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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All My Sons

by Arthur Miller

Publication year 1947

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Family, War, Truth & Lies

Tags Tragedy, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Military & War, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

All My Sons is a play by Arthur Miller, first performed in 1947. Based on a true story, All My Sons tells the story of a munitions factory owner who is accused of producing defective engines for aircraft. The play received many awards, ran for 328 shows on Broadway, and has been twice adapted as a film. This guide is based on the 2015 Penguin Classics edition of Miller’s Collected Plays. Plot SummaryJoe Keller is... Read All My Sons Summary

All Souls

by Michael Patrick MacDonald

Publication year 1999

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Poverty, Race & Racism, Education, Education, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Irish Literature, Biography

All Souls: A Family Story from Southie is a 1999 memoir by Michael MacDonald in which the author examines his experiences of growing up in the Old Colony neighborhood of South Boston, also known as Southie. The memoir contextualizes the MacDonald family’s personal tragedies amid the tumultuous historical events that took place in Boston during the 1970s, with a particular focus on the racist violence that occurred during the desegregation busing crisis. Michael Patrick MacDonald was... Read All Souls Summary

All the Glimmering Stars

by Mark Sullivan

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Food, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Globalization, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction

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All the King's Men

by Robert Penn Warren

Publication year 1946

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Family, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Politics & Government

All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren is a fictional political novel originally published in 1946 by Harcourt Brace & Company. Robert Penn Warren was an acclaimed novelist and poet from the American South. Along with fellow Southerners Cleanth Brooks and John Crowe Ransom, he was a leading proponent of the literary critical approach known as New Criticism. His best-known novel, All the King’s Men follows the political rise and fall of Governor Willie... Read All the King's Men Summary

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

by Bryn Greenwood

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Love, Family

Tags Romance, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness

Bryn Greenwood’s novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (2016) acknowledges and inverts the features of fairy tales and romance novels to depict a relationship that challenges accepted social values and questions the definition of love itself. Sunk in the depravity and degradation of her father’s drug-dealing lifestyle, eight-year-old Wavy finds her only solace in a questionable attachment to Kellen, a 24-year-old man who is also isolated and longing for some scrap of beauty in... Read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Summary