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 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Technology, Grief / Death, Agriculture, Parenting, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Sociology
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a children’s science fiction novel written in 1971 by Robert C. O’Brien. It tells the story of a field mouse whose son becomes ill as moving day approaches, so she enlists the help of a group of highly intelligent experimental rats for help. Robert C. O’Brien was inspired to write the Rats of NIMH after a visit to the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental rat compound... Read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Summary
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Humor, Great Depression, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, History: World
Mudbound is a 2008 novel by author Hillary Jordan. It is set in the southern delta of Mississippi in the years immediately following World War II. Over the course of the story, the fates of two intertwined families are irreversibly changed by a tragedy provoked by virulent racism. The novel explores themes of love, family, loyalty, duty, and the uneasy relationship African Americans have had with the South in the years following emancipation. As the... Read Mudbound Summary
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 1843
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community, Relationships: Family
Tags History: Asian, Japanese Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Biography
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, American Revolution, Military / War, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
My Brother Sam Is Dead tells the story of the Tim Meeker and his family during the years of the American Revolutionary War. Published in 1974, the novel won many awards, including a Newbery Honor, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book designation, and National Book Award nomination. James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, the authors, are brothers who together wrote a series of historical novels for young adults. James, a journalist, wrote most of... Read My Brother Sam Is Dead Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Immigration
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Children's Literature, Mental Illness, Biography
Publication year 2004
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Lyric Poem, African American Literature
Publication year 1976
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature
Simon J. Ortiz originally published “My Father’s Song” in his poetry/story collection entitled A Good Journey (1977). Ortiz is a major writer in the Native American Renaissance, a movement which began in the 1960s and marked a significant increase in the production of literary works by Native Americans in the United States. The poem was written at a time when Ortiz was collecting and recounting stories from Indigenous tribes across the United States, and his... Read My Father's Song Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Publication year 2004
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Society: Immigration, Self Discovery
Tags Immigration / Refugee
Publication year 2017
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Humor
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is a 2013 coming-of-age novel by Fredrik Bachman. The story follows Elsa, a seven-year-old girl with a penchant for grammar and deep affection for her grandmother, Granny, who dies from cancer. As Elsa discovers Granny’s past and the many lives she affected, she also learns more about Life and Death, Celebrating Differences, and the Complexity of Human Nature.Originally written in Swedish, My Grandmother Asked Me has... Read My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry Summary