Family

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 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Rodman Philbrick’s The Last Book in the Universe, originally published in 2000, is a young adult novel geared toward children ages 8 to 12. It depicts a dystopian future where “normals” (genetically-unaltered humans) live in the Urb, a place of filth and unrest, while “proovs” (genetically improved people) live in Eden, a place of joy and happiness. This has been the status quo ever since the Big Shake, the environmental disaster that marked the region’s... Read The Last Book In The Universe Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Literature, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Diversity, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, African American Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (November 2010) is a novel by award-winning author Walter Mosley. Mosley has enjoyed a distinguished literary career, penning over forty books in the genres of mystery, science fiction, and political nonfiction. He is the first Black recipient of a National Book Foundation Medal in the category of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Mosley’s father was African American, and his mother was Jewish with Russian ancestry. Mosley identifies strongly with... Read The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, WWII / World War II, Russian Literature, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Humor, Children's Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

The Last Kids on Earth—a New York Times bestseller and winner of the Texas Bluebonnet Award, which is determined by the popular vote of grade school students throughout Texas—is a post-apocalypse graphic novel for young readers, filled with illustrations, humor, friendship, and zombie survival. The story is written by Max Brallier and drawn by Douglas Holgate, and was originally published in 2015, but has since gone on to become a seven-book series; this is the... Read The Last Kids on Earth Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Military / War, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Immigration

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2008

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Mythology, Immigration / Refugee, History: Asian, Poverty, History: World, Biography

The Latehomecomer, a memoir by Kao Kalia Yang, was published in 2008. It won the Minnesota Book Award and was a finalist for the PEN USA Literary Award for Nonfiction. Yang was born in Thailand’s Ban Vinai Refugee Camp in 1980 and immigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota when she was six years old. She is a graduate of Carleton College and Columbia University and co-founder of Words Wanted, an organization committed to helping immigrants with... Read The Latehomecomer Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Sociology


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Realistic Fiction

Published in 2007, Jacqueline Davies’s The Lemonade War is the first installment in an award-winning series, which also includes The Lemonade Crime (2011) and The Bell Bandit (2012). The fictional children’s novel follows the Treski siblings as they compete for the most successful lemonade stand. The competition takes place the summer before Jessie Treski, an academically minded student, joins her older brother Evan’s fourth-grade class. The chapters alternate between Jessie and Evan’s perspectives.Plot SummaryWhen the... Read The Lemonade War Summary


Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Libation Bearers is an ancient Greek tragedy by the Athenian playwright Aeschylus, first produced in 458 BCE at the City Dionysia in Athens. Libation Bearers is the second part of the Oresteia, a trilogy exploring the themes of justice, retribution, and the cyclical pattern of bloodshed within the family of the mythical king Agamemnon. Following the events of Agamemnon, the first tragedy of Aeschylus’s Oresteia, the play depicts the murder of Clytaemestra, the queen of... Read The Libation Bearers Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Language, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Lies of Locke Lamora, written by Scott Lynch and published in 2006, is the first entry in the Gentleman Bastards series. These novels mix caper stories and fantasy stories and include adventure, violence, dark humor, and intimate friendships. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an international best seller and was nominated for multiple awards. The other entries in the series are Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Republic of Thieves, and The Thorn of... Read The Lies of Locke Lamora Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Humor


Publication year 1759

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Birth

Tags Classic Fiction, Satire, Humor, British Literature, Age of Enlightenment, History: World

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a nine-volume novel published between 1759 and 1767 by English novelist Laurence Sterne. The novel is considered by many scholars as an early forerunner of postmodern literature due to its metafictional commentary on its own narrative. Contemporary critics did not view the novel favorably, though its humor and sentimentalism helped it find an audience. The novel has been adapted for radio and opera and as a... Read The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Summary