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 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Food, Children's Literature, Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Indian Literature
Fatima Farheen Mirza’s A Place for Us debuted in 2018. The novel, an instant New York Times best seller, was lauded as one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, NPR, and more. It’s notable for its extensive use of flashbacks and shifting perspective, which moves between third and first person.Plot SummaryThe novel begins when Amar, a young man estranged from his traditional Indian Muslim family, comes home for his sister... Read A Place for Us Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2001
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Incarceration, Education, Race / Racism, Education, Social Justice, Biography
Jimmy Santiago Baca, born in 1952, is an American poet and author of A Place to Stand. Poems by Baca include “Immigrants in Our Own Land” (1979) and “Who Understands Me but Me” (1979). This memoir begins with Baca’s early years at home with his drunken, abusive father and his unhappy mother. Baca loves his father, who is continually in and out of jail, but Baca’s mother abandons her three children to marry a man... Read A Place to Stand Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
A Pocket Full of Rye is a 1953 detective novel by Agatha Christie featuring the recurring character of the elderly and discerning spinster Miss Marple. Christie wrote dozens of detective novels and short stories during her lifetime, and her play The Mousetrap ran continuously from 1952 until the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, setting a record for the longest running play in the world.Miss Marple is featured in multiple volumes of short stories and... Read A Pocket Full of Rye Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags African Literature, Education, Education, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2020
Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, LGBTQ, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Humor
Publication year 1919
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem, Parenting, Mythology
“A Prayer for my Daughter” by William Butler (W.B.) Yeats was originally published in his collection Michael Robartes and the Dancer in 1921. This book also includes one of Yeats’s most famous poems—“The Second Coming”—and was Yeats’s eighth collection of lyrical poems. “A Prayer for my daughter” was written in 1919, a year that marked the beginning of the Irish War of Independence. The war lasted until 1921 and heavily influenced Yeats. The poem’s location... Read A Prayer for My Daughter Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, American Revolution, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
April Morning is a historical fiction work by Howard Fast, a prolific author whose writings spanned the bulk of the 20th century. Published in 1961, midway through Fast’s career, the novel is one of many he wrote on the Revolutionary War and the birth of America. Originally intended for a general audience, it came to be regarded as a young adult novel as many middle and high school English programs included it in their curriculum... Read April Morning Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., History: World, Biography
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2004
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Biography
A Rip in Heaven: A Memoir of Murder and Its Aftermath (2004) is a true-crime story and memoir by Jeanine Cummins. The book recounts the violent rape and murder of two young women, Julie and Robin Kerry, the author’s cousins, and focuses on the aftermath for their families. Tom Cummins, their cousin who is present during the crimes, is thrown off a bridge into the Mississippi River with the two women but survives. Innocent, he... Read A Rip in Heaven Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World, Japanese Literature, Biography, History: Asian, Politics / Government, Inspirational
Publication year 2024
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Food, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Teams, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, Children's Literature
Artemis Fowl (2001) is the first of 11 fantasy novels in the Fowl Adventures series. It was written by Eoin Colfer, an Irish writer, and details the titular character’s attempt to restore his family’s fortune by kidnapping an elf named Holly Short. Taking place in Colfer’s home country of Ireland, the novel is also his first foray into the fantasy genre. The novel explores themes of community, environmentalism, and the line between magic and science.In... Read Artemis Fowl Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, History: Asian