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.

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Amongst Women by John McGahern is a contemporary Irish novel published in 1990. This novel explores themes of The Individual in a Changing World, The Individual Versus the Collective, and The Importance of Women. Amongst Women is also specific to Irish history and culture, as it portrays a rapidly modernizing Ireland that threatens the protagonist Moran’s sense of self. Considered McGahern’s greatest work, Amongst Women is the fifth of his six published novels. It was... Read Amongst Women Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Humor

Anansi Boys is a fantasy novel by British author Neil Gaiman, written in 2005. It is set within the same world as his earlier novel American Gods and shares the title character of Anansi. In 2006, the novel won both the Locus Award and the British Fantasy Society Award. Anansi Boys deals with themes of family, duality, and storytelling, drawing from West African mythology and archetypes to create a story rooted in the here and... Read Anansi Boys Summary


Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Drama / Tragedy

The third novel by Khaled Hosseini, And the Mountains Echoed, is a work of historical fiction that examines the factors that lead to and reverberate from one action: A poor family sells their youngest daughter to a wealthy couple in Kabul. Set in Afghanistan, the novel spans over 50 years and four generations. Hosseini includes several narrative voices, rather than just those of the story’s main family. The multiple narrators provide several different angles into... Read And the Mountains Echoed Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Children's Literature


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: War, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1996

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags Poverty, Irish Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Angela’s Ashes is a 1996 memoir written by Frank McCourt. It recounts his challenging upbringing in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. At the heart of the memoir is McCourt’s account of the people and events of his childhood, and how he tried to make sense of the world around him. McCourt narrates in the present tense and follows a generally chronological order, with his time in America as a young child and then later as... Read Angela's Ashes Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2000

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Southern Literature, History: U.S., Politics / Government


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen dramatizes the experiences of the division of Germany after World War II and tells a tale of family separation from a child’s perspective. The novel explores the effects of repressive government on intimate relationships as the main character, 12-year-old Gerta, watches friendships and partnerships dissolve due to the Cold War. It is a story of individual heroism and family devotion. The novel became an ILA-CBC Children’s Choices Reading... Read A Night Divided Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Biography

Author Laura Schroff’s 2012 New York Times bestseller An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny recounts a fateful meeting between two vastly different individuals: Maurice, a young boy living in poverty and a broken home, and Schroff, a successful ad executive enjoying a fast-paced career. In the memoir, the author posits that an invisible thread joins their lives. It is beyond her... Read An Invisible Thread Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1908

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Anne of Green Gables is a world-renowned classic children’s novel first published in 1908 by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. Set in the latter part of the 19th century in fictional Avonlea, a small town on Prince Edward Island, Canada, the story follows the accidental arrival of a precocious 11-year-old orphan girl, Anne Shirley, at Green Gables, the family homestead of middle-aged siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Many mishaps, adventures, and ultimate successes follow Anne... Read Anne Of Green Gables Summary


Publication year 1985

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction

Annie John, published in 1985, is the second book by the Antiguan American author Jamaica Kincaid (née Elaine Cynthia Potter Richardson). Annie John is a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of a young girl from age 10 to 17, until she leaves her home in Antigua, bound for nursing school in England. In the novel, Annie describes her most important relationships, and the bond with her mother is chief among them. Life is heaven... Read Annie John Summary


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Class

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency Era