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 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity
Tags Romance, Sports, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Class, Latin American Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family
Tags LGBTQ, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Gabi, A Girl in Pieces (2014) is a young adult fiction novel by Southern Californian writer Isabel Quintero. It is a bildungsroman following Gabi’s transition to adulthood, her evolution as a writer, and her growing acceptance of herself. Gabi, A Girl in Pieces is Quintero’s first novel and earned various awards for young adult readers, including the California Book Award (2015 Gold Medal) and the William C. Morris Award for YA Debut Novel. This summary... Read Gabi, a Girl in Pieces Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family
Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1978
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Indian Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, Classic Fiction
“Games at Twilight” is a short story written by Indian author Anita Desai. It was originally published in 1978 in a collection titled Games at Twilight and Other Stories, which contains several texts that explore different aspects of Indian life in urban settings. That same year, Desai was nominated for the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and the Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Fire on the Mountain. “Games at Twilight” focuses on a young boy who... Read Games at Twilight Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Geek Love is a 1989 dystopian novel by Katherine Dunn. The novel is structured as a memoir written by Olympia “Oly” Binewski, an albino hunchback dwarf, as she chronicles the bizarre story of her family of carnival freaks. Her parents, Aloysius “Al” and Lillian “Lil, Lily, or Crystal Lil” Binewski, had sought to prop up their faltering traveling carnival by breeding their own children into freaks through the prenatal use of illicit drugs, poison, and radiation. The family believes that “norms,”... Read Geek Love Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family
Tags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Genesis Begins Again is a contemporary middle grade novel published in 2019 by Alicia Williams, a teacher and an author of children’s fiction and young adult books. Genesis Begins Again, Williams’s debut novel, was met with critical praise for exploring and adapting complex emotional themes such as colorism, addiction, and bullying for a younger audience. Genesis Begins Again was a finalist for the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature and the recipient of the... Read Genesis Begins Again Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags History: World, Military / War, Chinese Literature, Biography
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World is a nonfiction book divided into three parts and dealing with the early life and rise to power of Temujin, the man who would become known as Genghis Khan. The text details his conquests and the establishment of the Mongol Empire, and the changes undergone by the empire after his death, and up until its collapse. Throughout, Weatherford makes the argument that the Mongol Empire played... Read Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World Summary
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Fantasy, Humor, Children's Literature, Magical Realism, British Literature
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Ghost is a 2016 novel by American author Jason Reynolds. Reynolds began his writing career as a poet and published his first novel, When I Was the Greatest, in 2014. Reynolds has won several accolades, including a Kirkus Prize, an NAACP Image Award, a Schneider Family Book Award, a Newbery Medal, and a Carnegie Medal. From 2020 to 2022, he was the Library of Congress’s National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, and he won the... Read Ghost Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Ghosted is British novelist Rosie Walsh’s first novel, published in 2018. After a career in television that included extensive travel, Walsh settled in the United Kingdom with her family, and Ghosted is set primarily in Gloucestershire and partially in other parts of England and Los Angeles, California. Released in the UK as The Man Who Didn’t Call and Ghosted in the United States, the novel addresses the phenomenon of “ghosting” in which a potential partner... Read Ghosted Summary
Publication year 1881
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity
Tags Play: Drama, Psychological Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Realism, Victorian Period, Drama / Tragedy, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
The play Ghosts (1881) by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen chronicles the complicated relationship between Helen Alving and her son, Oswald. Ghosts documents a day in the life at the Alving estate as Helen prepares to open an orphanage in honor of her late husband. A three-act play, Ghosts explores the complex social issues of sexually transmitted infections, incest, and euthanasia—topics that made the play highly controversial when it was first produced.Ghosts followed the success of... Read Ghosts Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Christian literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Published in 2004, Gilead is Marilynne Robinson’s second novel and the first in the Gilead trilogy, which includes Home (2008) and Lila (2014). The story is written as a letter from dying Congregationalist minister John Ames to his young son. The letter is a bittersweet account of John’s life. With a slow, thoughtful pace and intimate tone, John shares past family memories and resolves an old personal grievance with his best friend’s son. As John... Read Gilead Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Girl in Pieces is the New York Times bestselling young adult contemporary novel by Kathleen Glasgow originally published in 2016. It was a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens selection and Amelia Bloomer Project Award Selection. The novel explores a teen’s recovery journey from self-harm, exploring the roles of community, healthy patterns, and acceptance of dualities. Glasgow is also well-known for her other novels, including You'd Be Home Now (2021) and How to... Read Girl in Pieces Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction
Bernardine Evaristo’s polyphonic novel of modern Britain and womanhood, Girl, Woman, Other, won the 2019 Booker Prize. Evaristo was the first Black woman to receive this literary prize for books written in the English language. Employing an experimental, poetic form, the novel follows several generations of mainly Black, British women who interrogate the intersections of identity, Human Connectivity and Interdependence, Diaspora in Great Britain, and The Impact of Family Legacy. Girl, Woman, Other is Evaristo’s... Read Girl, Woman, Other Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Action / Adventure