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.

Then

by Morris Gleitzman

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Revenge, Art, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Holocaust, World War II, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, Children`s Literature, World History

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The Nanny

by Lana Ferguson

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Family, Guilt, Loneliness, Daughters & Sons, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Parenting

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The Naturals

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Psychology, Trauma & Abuse, Coming of Age, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The Naturals (2013) is a Young Adult suspense novel by American author Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It is the first novel in the Naturals series, which follows Cassie, a teenager with a natural talent for profiling people based on a careful study of their behavior. Cassie meets other teenagers with similar abilities when she joins a special FBI program meant to use their skills to solve murders. Throughout the series, Cassie must also work to solve... Read The Naturals Summary

The Night Diary

by Veera Hiranandani

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, World History, Indian Literature

The Night Diary, Veera Hiranandani’s 2018 work of historical fiction for middle-grade and young adult readers, consists of 60 diary entries spanning approximately four months. In it, the author chronicles the events of India’s post-World War II independence from Britain and subsequent partition through the voice of a 12-year-old Indian girl, Nisha. The fictional family in the novel is loosely based on the childhood experiences of Hiranandani’s father, whose family, like Nisha’s, made the journey... Read The Night Diary Summary

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Daughters & Sons

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

Lisa Jewell’s mystery novel Then She Was Gone follows Laurel Mack in her search for answers regarding her daughter Ellie’s disappearance. Through a series of flashbacks and differing points of view, Jewell gradually unfolds the details of the past and looks inside the mind of the psychopath who kidnapped Ellie, all while chronicling the steps Laurel must take to heal from the sorrow that has consumed her.This novel was originally published in 2017, but this... Read Then She Was Gone Summary

The Obsession

by Nora Roberts

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Mental Health, The Past, Family, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Family, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality

In The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), a dark fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, a young boy accidentally brings an evil entity from another reality into his world, and he needs the help of three mysterious women to try to get rid of the threat. A number-one New York Times bestseller, the novel won several honors, including the British Book Awards Book of the Year and the Locus Award for best fantasy... Read The Ocean at the End of the Lane Summary

Theodore Boone

by John Grisham

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Family, Education, Immigration, Guilt

Tags Crime & Law, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is a 2010 middle-grade novel written by John Grisham, and it is the first installment in the Theodore Boone series. Grisham is an experienced layer and writer of over 30 novels, with most of his writing in the legal thriller genre. Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is Grisham’s first foray into writing for a younger audience, which the author called a challenge in shifting the way he thought about his writing approach... Read Theodore Boone Summary