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 Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Canadian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Birth, Society: War, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: Asian
The artist and writer Thi Bui published her autobiographical graphic memoir, The Best We Could Do, in 2017. Alternating her narrative between her present-day experiences as a new mother in New York City with her parents’ past growing up in and then escaping from Vietnam, Bui builds a complex web of intergenerational trauma and love. This is Bui’s first venture into comic book illustration. The artwork that accompanies her narrative is based on the black... Read The Best We Could Do Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Economics
Publication year 1949
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Relationships
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, British Literature, Children's Literature, Military / War
Publication year 1979
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature, Animals
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags American Literature, Existentialism, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Bluest Eye is the first novel of Nobel-Prize winning writer Toni Morrison. It was published in 1970. Set in Lorain, Ohio in 1941, the novel traces how Pecola Breedlove, the dark-skinned daughter of a poor African American family, came to be pregnant with her father's child and lost her sanity after the baby died.Morrison prefaces the novel with a Foreword in which she explains several of her choices in writing the novel. The novel... Read The Bluest Eye Summary
Publication year 1942
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Politics / Government, Cold War, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, American Civil War, History: World