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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Mental Illness
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Asian Literature, Korean Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
On Such A Full Sea is a 2014 novel by Chang-Rae Lee that explores themes of alienation, wealth, greed, ecology, freedom, and survival. The book is set in the future. America has fallen from grace. Society is strictly stratified into three classes. There are the Charter villages, which house the richest and most elite families. Then, there are the long-abandoned urban neighborhoods, which have been repurposed as high walled, self-contained labor colonies. Finally, there are... Read On Such A Full Sea Summary
Publication year 1937
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Children's Literature, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1957
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Military / War, Classic Fiction
Nevil Shute’s novel On the Beach was published in 1957. It tells the story of a group of people living in Melbourne, Australia, who face the end of the world after a nuclear war destroys the entire Northern Hemisphere. As they wait for the radioactive fallout to reach them, the characters must deal with the fact that their days on Earth are numbered. The story was initially published in four parts under the title The... Read On the Beach Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags African American Literature, Music, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Poverty, Modern Classic Fiction
On the Come Up, published in 2019, is the second novel by acclaimed young adult author Angie Thomas. It takes place in the same neighborhood as Thomas’s first novel, The Hate U Give (2017), but aside from occasional references to the murder and riots in Garden Heights, On the Come Up features a new cast of characters. The book received numerous awards, including the American Library Association’s Top Ten Books for Young Adults, and it... Read On the Come Up Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams
Tags History: U.S., Sports, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Music, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers
Tags LGBTQ, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is the debut novel of Jeannette Winterson, originally published on March 21, 1985 by Pandora Press in London. The story is a semi-autobiographical novel that closely follows the childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood of Jeanette, who, like Winterson, is adopted into a Pentecostal Evangelist household and raised in the church. As she grows, she comes to terms with her sexuality as a lesbian and faces condemnation and judgment from... Read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Jackson Hurd, who goes by Jack, lives with his parents on a farm in Maine. Jack learns that his parents plan to foster a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Brook. Joseph recently attacked a teacher at his juvenile detention home, and he has an infant daughter that he has never met. When Joseph arrives on the Hurd family farm, he is quiet and easily startled.The boys walk to school together the day after Joseph arrives to... Read Orbiting Jupiter Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Biography, Mental Illness
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Psychological Fiction, Grief / Death, Relationships, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction
Ordinary People is the first novel written by Judith Guest and chronicles the life of an American family in the aftermath of two traumatic events. The book was first published in 1976 and was the recipient of the Janet Heidinger Kafka prize. It later inspired a film directed by Robert Redford and starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton. Guest went on to write books like Second Heaven (1982), Killing Time... Read Ordinary People Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Animals, Food, Relationships
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Relationships, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1972
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Immigration / Refugee, Diversity, Race / Racism, American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1888
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, New Adult, Latin American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Race / Racism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1865
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Satire, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period
Our Mutual Friend is a Victorian Realist novel by Charles Dickens, published in serial form from 1864 to 1865. The novel is notable among Dickens’s work for its scathing satire of social conditions in London during the era. Our Mutual Friend has been adapted for film, television, and radio and explores themes of The Tension Between Poverty and Dignity, The Relationship Between Names and Identity, and The Rigidity of Social Class.This guide uses the 2008... Read Our Mutual Friend Summary