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 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Modern Classic Fiction
Dark Places is a 2009 mystery thriller novel by American author Gillian Flynn. The narrative moves between two time periods, 1985 and 2009, as the protagonist, Libby Day, tries to solve her family’s brutal murder. The novel deals with the consequences of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the fallout from the 1970s Farm Boom for a community in the rural Midwest. Flynn is the author of Gone Girl (2012) and other popular mystery thrillers.Dark Places... Read Dark Places Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Animals, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Asian Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
... Read Day Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue is a young adult book of historical fiction written by Julius Lester and published in 2005. It was the 2006 winner of the Coretta Scott King Award as well as numerous other YA awards. The book concerns the largest slave auction in American history, which took place on March 2 and 3, 1859, in Savannah, Georgia. Plantation owner Pierce Butler sells more than 400 persons to repay his... Read Day of Tears Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Japanese Literature
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family
Tags Western, Historical Fiction, Military / War, LGBTQ, American Civil War, Race / Racism, History: World, Irish Literature
Days Without End (2016) is a novel by Irish author Sebastian Barry. Days Without End is Barry’s ninth novel and received considerable critical acclaim. The novel won the 2017 Walter Scott Prize, was listed at number 74 on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best books of the 21st century (2019 edition), and made BBC News’s 2019 list of the 100 most influential novels. The novel also won the 2016 Costa Book Award, making Barry... Read Days Without End Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Language, Relationships: Family
Tags Disability, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Health / Medicine, Biography
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano was published in 2020. It is the story of a 12-year-old boy who is the lone survivor of a plane crash that kills 191 others, including his family. As Edward struggles to cope with the tragedy, letters from others affected by the crash spark a journey of healing and self-discovery. Although the novel is fiction, it was inspired by true events. Ann Napolitano is a resident of New York City... Read Dear Edward Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, LGBTQ
Dear Evan Hansen is a novel published in 2018. It was written by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The authors adapted the novel from the original Broadway musical of the same name, which they also wrote. The musical premiered in July 2015 in Washington, DC, debuted on Broadway in 2016, and later won six Tony Awards in 2017, including Best Musical. This guide refers to the Poppy/Little, Brown, and Company edition... Read Dear Evan Hansen Summary
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Published in 1983 and winner of the 1984 Newberry Award, Beverly Cleary’s Dear Mr. Henshaw marks a departure for the novelist known for her books that celebrate the whimsy and adventurousness of childhood. Dear Mr. Henshaw is an epistolary novel, in which protagonist and aspiring author Leigh Botts narrates his story through letters and diary entries addressed to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. Leigh begins writing yearly letters to Mr. Henshaw in second grade but... Read Dear Mr. Henshaw Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Vietnam War, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology