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 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Family
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Economics
Publication year 1949
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Relationships
Publication year 1979
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature, Animals
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags American Literature, Existentialism, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Bluest Eye is the first novel of Nobel-Prize winning writer Toni Morrison. It was published in 1970. Set in Lorain, Ohio in 1941, the novel traces how Pecola Breedlove, the dark-skinned daughter of a poor African American family, came to be pregnant with her father's child and lost her sanity after the baby died.Morrison prefaces the novel with a Foreword in which she explains several of her choices in writing the novel. The novel... Read The Bluest Eye Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Politics / Government, Cold War, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, American Civil War, History: World
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Disability
Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Gender / Feminism, Southern Literature, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 1952
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Class, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, British Literature
Introduction Written by British author Mary Norton in 1952, The Borrowers is the first in a five-part series along with The Borrowers Afield (1955), The Borrowers Afloat (1959), The Borrowers Aloft (1961), and The Borrowers Avenged (1982). The book follows the story of the Clock family, a trio of tiny people who live beneath the kitchen floorboards in a large house in the British countryside. Norton was born in London in 1903 and grew up... Read The Borrowers Summary
Publication year 1924
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Bullying
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Jason Reynolds’s 2015 young adult realistic contemporary novel, The Boy in the Black Suit, follows main character, Matt Miller, through several months of his senior year after the death of his mother. His grieving process is complicated by his father’s lengthy hospitalization after an accident, which leaves Matt to cope with his sadness alone. Matt discovers unexpected comfort, however, in his new job helping neighbor and funeral home director Mr. Ray. Matt meets Love, who... Read The Boy in the Black Suit Summary