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 Great Unexpected

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Gratitude, Love, Memory, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship

Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech’s 2012 novel, The Great Unexpected, follows the relationship between two best friends, Naomi Deane and Lizzie Scatterding, both orphans who know little about their families. They have felt heartache and loss, though these experiences impact them in contrasting ways: Lizzie is talkative and enthusiastic, while Naomi is guarded and anxious. In a discussion of her inspiration for the text, Creech recounts her realization that when faced with the unexpected, children... Read The Great Unexpected Summary

The Green Glass Sea

by Ellen Klages

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Conflict, Grief, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Self Discovery, Community, War, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Children`s Literature, Military & War, Realistic Fiction, World History

The Green Glass Sea is the 2006 children’s historical fiction and debut novel by American author Ellen Klages. Set in New Mexico in 1943, the story tells of 11-year-old Dewey Kerrigan, an outcast mechanical engineering prodigy who arrives to live with her father in the mysterious town of Los Alamos, New Mexico (also called the Hill). Dewey slowly learns that her father and several other scientists are working on a top-secret project called the “gadget.”... Read The Green Glass Sea Summary

The Grey Wolf

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Environment, Family, Teamwork, Community, Economics, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Grey Wolf Summary

The Guardians

by Ana Castillo

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Family, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Nation, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Women`s Studies, Education, Education, Latin American Literature, American Literature, Arts & Culture

... Read The Guardians Summary

The Guest List

by Lucy Foley

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Marriage, Siblings, Appearance & Reality, The Past

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

The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a contemporary murder mystery novel published in 2020. Foley, an English author, weaves a tale of intrigue, secrets, and betrayal upon the backdrop of an isolated island in West Ireland. Foley is also known for the thrillers The Hunting Party (2018) and The Paris Apartment (2022), among others. Often likened to Agatha Christie, Foley’s novel is a slow-burn whodunit.Plot SummaryMany perspectives compose The Guest List; each chapter jumps... Read The Guest List Summary

The Guncle

by Steven Rowley

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Sexual Identity, Death

Tags LGBTQ+, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Grief & Death, Parenting, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

... Read The Guncle Summary

The Hamlet

by William Faulkner

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, The Past, Social Class, Power & Greed

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

... Read The Hamlet Summary

The Happiest Refugee

by Anh Do

Publication year 2010

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Humor, Asian History, Education, Education, Biography

The Happiest Refugee is a 2010 autobiography by Vietnamese-born, Australian author, actor, comedian, and artist Anh Do. Following his journey from a perilous escape from Communist-ruled Vietnam as a toddler with his large family, to his working-class childhood in Australia where he struggled to fit into the predominantly white society, to his rise as one of Australia’s most sought-after comedians and motivational speakers, The Happiest Refugee is considered one of the most well-received stories of... Read The Happiest Refugee Summary

The Hare With Amber Eyes

by Edmund de Waal

Publication year 2010

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Family, Perseverance, Fear, Memory, Race, The Past, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Jewish Literature, World History

Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010) is a family memoir that traces the fate of a collection of Japanese netsuke across generations of the Ephrussi family. Blending personal narrative with cultural history, the author reconstructs the rise and fall of his Jewish ancestors against the backdrop of Western Europe’s turbulent modern history. The book is a meditation on the Jewish diaspora and the fragility of cultural assimilation, exploring how objects, particularly works... Read The Hare With Amber Eyes Summary

The Haunting Of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Guilt, Family, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House, a Gothic novel by Shirley Jackson, was a 1960 finalist for the National Book Award. The protagonist is Eleanor Vance, a young woman with a troubled past who, along with two other guests, is invited to spend three months in a haunted house to take part in research gathered by Dr. John Montague. Like other Gothic novels, The Haunting of Hill House takes place in an old... Read The Haunting Of Hill House Summary

The Heart's Invisible Furies

by John Boyne

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Irish Literature

The Heart’s Invisible Furies is a novel written by John Boyne, author of 14 novels and a short story collection. Originally published in 2017, this historical fiction chronicles of the life of a gay man living in Ireland in the 20th and 21st centuries. It won the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award in 2018.Other works by this author include The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, All the Broken Places, and A Ladder to the Sky.This... Read The Heart's Invisible Furies Summary