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 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
Pubished in 2007, Flight: A Novel is Sherman Alexie's—one of the best-known and most lauded Native American writers—work of historical fiction and fantasy. Alexie—a Washington State native, like his protagonist—is a noteable poet, novelist, and screenwriter. He both wrote and produced the 1998 film, Smoke Signals, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won both the Audience Award and the Filmmaker’s Trophy.Plot Summary15-year old Zits wakes up in yet another foster home. As usual... Read Flight Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Children's Literature
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Survival Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Humor, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Flipped is a contemporary young adult novel by Wendelin Van Draanen. The main characters, Juli Baker and Bryce Loski, are neighbors in Mayfield, a fictional American town. Now in eighth grade, the two protagonists reveal the story of their relationship in a dual narrative of alternating first-person chapters that recount how Juli “flips” for Bryce at a young age but later decides she is not interested…right around the time Bryce finally “flips” for Juli. The... Read Flipped Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Animals
Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is a middle-grade magical realism novel written by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K. G. Campbell, and originally published in 2013. DiCamillo is a renowned middle-grade author who also wrote Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux, among other books. Flora and Ulysses was the recipient of the John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children in 2014. It was also adapted into a... Read Flora And Ulysses Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Jewish Literature, History: World
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Class, Disability, Diversity, LGBTQ, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1994
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Historical, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Foe is a 1986 novel by J. M. Coetzee. Foe is a parallel novel, reimagining the story of Daniel Defoe’s 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe from the perspective of a shipwrecked woman named Susan Barton, who then tries to convince a fictionalized version of Defoe to write her story. This guide refers to the 2015 Penguin edition. Content Warning: The source material uses outdated, offensive terms for Black people throughout, which is replicated in this guide... Read Foe Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Force of Nature (2017) is a thriller by Australian author Jane Harper. Following The Dry (2016) and preceding Exiles (2022), it is the second in a three-book series of novels featuring federal investigator Aaron Falk. In this installment, Falk joins the state police in their investigation of a missing woman who has been a key point of contact for his investigation into possible embezzlement and fraud at a prominent accounting firm. While the woman’s fate... Read Force of Nature Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Drama / Tragedy
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Inspirational, Fantasy, Self Help
For One More Day, by Mitch Albom, tells the story of Charles “Chick” Benetto, a retired baseball player fallen on hard times. The story is framed by a prologue and epilogue where a narrator explains that they are telling the story from Chick’s perspective, “because I’m not sure you would believe this story if you didn’t hear it in his voice” (7). The book is comprised of short chapters told in the first person, and... Read For One More Day Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2010
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, History: Asian, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying
Publication year 1996
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags WWII / World War II, Holocaust
Four Perfect Pebbles is a Holocaust memoir written by Marion Blumenthal Lazan and co-authored by Lila Perl. It was originally published in 1996, 51 years after Marion and her family were liberated from the death train by Russian troops in Nazi Germany. Marion was five years old when she and her family moved to a refugee camp in Holland, which was later converted into a transit camp for Auschwitz. The Blumenthals also lived at the... Read Four Perfect Pebbles Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor