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 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, LGBTQ, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal
Presumed Innocent (1987) is Scott Turow’s first novel, originally published by Farrar Straus & Giroux. The hit novel stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks and is often credited as an early example of the modern legal thriller, helping to shape the genre’s conventions. Turow went on to publish 12 additional novels and three nonfiction works. He also continued to practice law, specializing in criminal defense, contrasting with Presumed Innocent’s protagonist... Read Presumed Innocent Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Karin Slaughter’s thriller novel Pretty Girls (2015) chronicles a family haunted by the sudden disappearance and presumed murder of their eldest daughter, Julia. Almost 20 years later, the Carroll family remains fractured by the lasting emotional fallout, each member using different strategies to cope with their grief. Upon the death of Claire Scott’s (née Carroll) husband Paul, the family is dragged back into the spotlight, but with new information that situates Paul at the center... Read Pretty Girls Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Society: Class
Tags Realistic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Introduction Prey is a 2002 science-fiction novel by Michael Crichton. Like his more popular novels in the Jurassic Park series, Prey employs the misuse of technology—and the hubris of opportunistic scientists—to pit his characters against a threat. In this case, the danger comes in the form of nanobots, microscopic agents that are rapidly evolving to destroy the people in a Nevada molecular fabrication lab. This guide uses the 2009 HarperCollins eBook edition of Prey. Content... Read Prey Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Romance, Class, Urban Development, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Military / War, WWI / World War I
Private Peaceful (2003) is a historical fiction novel by English author Michael Morpurgo. The story revolves around the reminiscences of Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful, a young World War I soldier who reflects on his upbringing in rural England. Thomas bridges the past and present while awaiting the execution of his older brother, Charlie, who faces charges of cowardice.Other works by this author include War Horse, The Butterfly Lion, and An Elephant in the Garden.This guide refers to... Read Private Peaceful Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2004
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Biography, African American Literature, Sports, History: U.S.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Arts / Culture, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Food, Grief / Death, History: U.S., History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Incarceration, Military / War, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Romance, Sports, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Sports, LGBTQ
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Social Justice, Education, Education, History: World
Written by Diane Glancy in 1996, Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears follows a group of Cherokee people as they are forced to relocate to “Indian Territory” in Oklahoma in 1838 and 1839. The novel is told from varying perspectives of members of the Cherokee Nation as well as soldiers, reverends, and disembodied voices. These shifting perspectives create a fragmented yet nuanced narrative as Glancy weaves together multiple viewpoints and utilizes... Read Pushing the Bear Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness