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.

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


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