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.
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Relationships, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Psychology, Incarceration, Animals, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves is Karen Joy Fowler’s seventh novel. The book was first published in 2013. The following year, it won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Fowler said that the book takes inspiration from a real 1930s experiment. In an interview with Carmen Maria Machado published in The American Reader, Fowler states that she believes that using animals for research purposes is wrong, and... Read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ
We Are All Made of Molecules (May 2015) is by young adult and middle-grade author Susin Nielsen. Nielsen spent many years as a scriptwriter for Canadian television shows, including Degrassi Junior High. Her writing focuses humorously on the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Like the characters in We Are All Made of Molecules, Nielsen lives in Vancouver, Canada. Her other titles include Word Nerd (2010), Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom (2010)... Read We Are All Made of Molecules Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: War, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Society: Education, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Politics / Government, Social Justice, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Gender / Feminism, Education, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Sports
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Asian Literature, Race / Racism, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Social Justice
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Japanese Literature, Arts / Culture, WWII / World War II, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Gender, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Immigration
Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Immigration / Refugee, Religion / Spirituality, Biography
Publication year 1999
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Humor, Education, Education, Southern Literature
Tim Gautreaux’s “Welding with Children” debuted in the March 1997 issue of The Atlantic. Gautreaux was born in Louisiana, and his novels and short stories, like this one, draw from his experience of growing up in a Southern, blue-collar family. His characters include a range of rural Louisiana residents, many of whom struggle with societal and generational changes. Gautreaux has received numerous awards, most notably the 1999 Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Book Award for... Read Welding with Children Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction