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.

The Crossing

by Cormac McCarthy

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Loneliness, Masculinity, Race, Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Globalization, Community, Family, Appearance & Reality, Place, Justice

Tags Coming of Age, Western, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

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The Crossover

by Kwame Alexander

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Narrative Poem, Sports, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Crossover (2014) is a coming-of-age novel in verse by award-winning children’s author and poet Kwame Alexander. The narrative follows a 12-year-old Black boy named Josh Bell whose poems express his love for basketball and his family. With his twin brother, Jordan, Josh’s sense of self evolves as he uses basketball to deal with his father’s death. The book explores themes of Confidence and Vulnerability; Basketball as Life Lessons; and Music, Rhythm, and Identity.Rebound, a... Read The Crossover Summary

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Publication year 1922

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Death, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, American Literature, Science Fiction, World History

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a short story by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) addressing themes of time, aging, social class, and destiny. Fitzgerald is among the most celebrated American authors of the 20th century. His novels The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night, though commercial disappointments in his lifetime, are now considered classics.Remembered today primarily as a novelist, Fitzgerald was known as a short story writer for magazines by contemporary... Read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Summary

The Custom of the Country

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Social Class, Community, Family, Power & Greed, Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, World History

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton is a tragicomedy of manners that explores themes of greed, ruthless ambition, progress, and gendered ideas. Wharton, who was herself a member of the New York City elite, was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and her novels are pieces of classic American literature for their social commentary, multilayered characters, and analysis of American culture.Published in 1913, this novel can be read as... Read The Custom of the Country Summary

The Darkest Child

by Delores Phillips

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Southern Literature, Race & Racism, African American Literature, World History

The Darkest Child (2004) is a coming-of-age historical fiction novel by Delores Phillips. The teenage protagonist and first-person narrator, Tangy Mae Quinn faces racism and segregation in the Jim Crow South, as well as domestic abuse, poverty, and nonconsensual sex work. Despite these challenges, Tangy finds eventual escape when she leaves her abusive mother, Rozelle, and her past behind her to pursue her own goals, which are rooted in education. The novel explores The Role... Read The Darkest Child Summary

The Day They Came to Arrest the Book

by Nat Hentoff

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Conflict, Truth & Lies, Education, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Psychology, Psychology

Originally published in 1982, The Day They Came to Arrest the Book is Nat Hentoff’s only novel for youth. Hentoff was a multi-talented scholar and entertainer, known for his years as a columnist at the legendary Village Voice, an alternative newspaper in New York City. He was also a music critic and professor. Hentoff was regarded as an eloquent, tireless advocate for freedom of speech; he made his arguments in essay form for adults in... Read The Day They Came to Arrest the Book Summary

The Death of Ivan Ilyich

by Leo Tolstoy

Publication year 1886

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Death, Family, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Christian, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Philosophy, Grief & Death, Religion & Spirituality, Russian Literature

The Death of Ivan Ilyich (1886) is a fictional novella by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). The story raises questions about what is important in life through Tolstoy’s observation of social interaction and individual priorities.Tolstoy was born into aristocracy and was popular at a time when Russia was under the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Russian emperor of the Romanov Dynasty. Tolstoy, whose best-known works are War and Peace (1867) and... Read The Death of Ivan Ilyich Summary

The Deepest Well

by Nadine Burke Harris

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Social Class, Community, Mental Health, Science & Technology, Memory, The Past, Disability, Future, Perseverance, Nature Versus Nurture, Education, Childhood & Youth

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Mental Illness, Science & Nature, Health, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

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The Diary of a Young Girl

by Anne Frank

Publication year 1947

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, War, Family

Tags European History, Coming of Age, World History, World War II, Holocaust, Education, Education, Military & War, Classic Fiction, Biography

Written between 1942 and 1944, The Diary of Anne Frank, aka The Diary of a Young Girl, is a collection of journal entries by Anne Frank, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, while in hiding with her family for two years in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. When Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945, her diary was given to her father, Otto Frank, the only known survivor of the family. The diary was first published... Read The Diary of a Young Girl Summary

The Dinner

by Herman Koch

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Dinner (2009) is a novel by Dutch author Herman Koch. In 2012, Sam Garrett translated it into English. The novel has been adapted into a film multiple times. It tells the story of a dinner at a restaurant, where the guests discuss a serious matter involving their children. Paul Lohman narrates the story, though his version of events may not be reliable.  Plot Summary Paul Lohman, a former history teacher and the narrator of the... Read The Dinner Summary