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 Mad Wife

by Meagan Church

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Midlife, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Mothers, Community, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Domestic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Magician

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Conflict, Sexual Identity, Family, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Art, Justice, Music, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, LGBTQ+, Military & War

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The Magician's Assistant

by Ann Patchett

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Grief, Regret, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Place, Family

Tags Magical Realism, LGBTQ+

Written by acclaimed American author Ann Patchett, The Magician’s Assistant is a piece of contemporary literature that explores life after grief, the nature of love, and the power of family dynamics. Told in two parts, one set in Los Angeles and the other in small-town Nebraska, the novel emphasizes the importance of setting and environment in the development of identity.The author of nine novels and the recipient of numerous awards, Ann Patchett is an outspoken... Read The Magician's Assistant Summary

The Magician's Elephant

by Kate DiCamillo

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, Relationships, Animals, Action & Adventure

A fortuneteller tells 10-year-old Peter that an elephant will lead him to his lost sister, which starts Peter on a journey of self-discovery and wonder in Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo’s The Magician’s Elephant (2009). When a magician miraculously conjures an elephant, its appearance affects everyone in town. In his efforts to find his sister Adele and rescue the homesick elephant, Peter must overcome obstacles and unite a diverse group of characters that includes a policeman... Read The Magician's Elephant Summary

The Man Who Loved Clowns

by June Rae Wood

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Shame & Pride, Disability, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Disability

The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood is a young adult novel about a teenage girl, Delrita, who lives with her Uncle Punky, who has Down syndrome. Wood based the novel on her personal experience growing up with her brother, Richard, who had Down syndrome. The Man Who Loved Clowns was published in 1992 and won the Mark Twain Award in 1995. Wood published a sequel, Turtle on a Fence Post, in 1997.This... Read The Man Who Loved Clowns Summary

The Marvelous Land of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure

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The Master

by Colm Tóibín

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Literature, Loneliness, Love, Mental Health, Aging, Death, Family, Friendship, Social Class, Art

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Irish Literature

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The Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Power & Greed

Tags Action & Adventure, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

Published by Scholastic in 2008, Rick Riordan’s The Maze of Bones is the first novel in an interactive middle grade mystery-adventure series called The 39 Clues that follows the hidden exploits and conflicts of the Cahills, the most influential family in history. Riordan is a former teacher and prolific author best known for publishing the Percy Jackson series. The 39 Clues franchise proved to be another success, with books from the series landing on the... Read The Maze of Bones Summary

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

by Kim Edwards

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a work of fiction written by Kim Edwards and published in 2005. The story follows the harrowed marriage of David and Norah, beginning with the birth of their twins, Paul and Phoebe, in 1964. Conflict immediately emerges within the novel as Phoebe is born with Down’s Syndrome and David decides to give her away rather than have his wife and himself face the pain of their daughter dying early like... Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter Summary

The Metamorphosis

by Franz Kafka

Publication year 1915

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy

First published in 1915, Franz Kafka’s surrealist novella The Metamorphosis, translated from Die Verwandlung, is widely acclaimed and one of the author’s best-known works. Kafka, a Jewish novelist and short-story writer, is regarded for his exploration of the fantastic. Kafka employs realism to depict his protagonists in bizarre circumstances. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka incorporates themes of alienation and absurdity to convey narratives about isolated and anxious protagonists. The time period in which The Metamorphosis transpires is... Read The Metamorphosis Summary