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 2015
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Incarceration, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1961
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Relationships
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, French Literature
Queen Elizabeth I enacted laws that persecuted Catholics in England; in response, some daring inventors created secret hiding places within Catholic homes to hide the priests from raids. In the 2013 novel, The Paris Architect, Charles Belfour transposes this real historical event into a new context: hiding Jewish people from German forces in Occupied France. The story centers on an architect in Paris who undertakes the dangerous work of designing invisible hiding places, makes new... Read The Paris Architect Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Patron Saint of Liars (1992) is Ann Patchett’s debut novel. Since its publication, Patchett has written seven more novels that feature multifaceted characters and plots that explore ambiguous moral dilemmas. These aspects of her work are present in The Patron Saint of Liars as well, which follows the story of Rose, a pregnant young woman who flees her unhappy marriage to live at a home for unwed mothers. The novel was a bestseller and... Read The Patron Saint of Liars Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Family
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Historical Fiction, Education, Education
The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor... Read The Pearl Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Race / Racism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Animals
Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Relationships, Class, Music, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Music
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, French Literature, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary
Publication year 1987
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, Historical Fiction, African American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
IntroductionAugust Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson premiered in 1987 at Yale Repertory Theatre starring a young, unknown Samuel L. Jackson as Boy Willie. The play opened on Broadway in 1990 with Charles S. Dutton (Boy Willie), S. Epatha Merkerson (Berniece), and Jackson in his Broadway debut as Dutton’s understudy; it earned five Tony nominations, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play award. It also won the... Read The Piano Lesson Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Published in 1968, Paul Zindel’s The Pigman established the young adult genre in fiction novels and became a classic book that is still read by teenagers in classrooms today. Written from the dual perspective of two high school students, Zindel takes the reader inside the mind of a teenager’s thoughts, fears, and impressions of others and examines what it means to be kind and empathetic. The novel was awarded the New York Times Outstanding Book... Read The Pigman Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
The Pilot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve, was first published in 1998 by Little Brown, and was Oprah’s Book Club selection for March of 1999. Shreve, who died in 2018, was also the author of the bestselling novel, The Weight of Water, adapted into a film starring Sean Penn and Sarah Polley. Shreve’s work is known for its depth, interiority, and examination of women’s emotional lives. The Pilot’s Wife is the third novel of four in... Read The Pilot's Wife Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Disability, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction