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 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture

The Only Road (2016) is Alexandra Diaz’s second novel. Diaz is the daughter of Cuban immigrants, and this book focuses on the experience of migration. The novel, written primarily for young adults, follows cousins Jaime and Ángela, who are forced to flee their small Guatemalan village after the local gang kills Ángela’s brother. Faced with either joining the gang responsible for his death or taking the uncertain 4,000-kilometer journey north, Jaime and Ángela reluctantly leave... Read The Only Road Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Barbara Haworth-Attard’s young adult novel Theories of Relativity follows the story of Dylan Wallace, a 16-year-old boy living on the streets of a large city in Canada. Through first-person, present-tense narration, Dylan navigates the dangers and risks of street life and deals with the hardships that accompany the lifestyle. This novel was originally published in Canada in 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. This study guide follows the First American Edition of the novel, published in... Read Theories of Relativity Summary


Publication year 1884

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation

Tags Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender / Feminism, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Health / Medicine, History: World


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration

Tags Children's Literature, Italian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Romance, Auto/Biographical Fiction

The Other Boleyn Girl (2001) is a historical women’s fiction novel by British author and journalist Philippa Gregory. Gregory first reached bestseller status with her debut historical novel Wideacre (1987). The Other Boleyn Girl won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was adapted into a film. The novel is narrated by Mary, the Boleyn daughter whose more famous sister, Anne, has overshadowed her in the historical record. Mary... Read The Other Boleyn Girl Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Relationships

Mary Lawson’s 2016 novel, The Other Side of the Bridge, tells the dual stories of Arthur and Ian, two men separated by a generation but in love with the same woman: Arthur’s wife, Laura.Odd-numbered chapters are told from the point-of-view of Ian Christopherson, the son of a doctor who takes a job on Arthur Dunn’s farm, chiefly to be near Laura Dunn. Even-numbered chapters follow Arthur Dunn. The older of the two Dunn brothers, Arthur... Read The Other Side of the Bridge Summary


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction

The Other Side of Truth is a young adult novel by South African writer Beverley Naidoo that was published in 2000. The work is set in both Nigeria and in London, and it takes place after the 1995 Nigerian execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and activist who spoke out against Nigeria’s military government’s corruption. Sade is the novel’s protagonist. The story is written in the third person, and it follows the journey of Sade... Read The Other Side of Truth Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Incarceration, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1961

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Relationships


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family

Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Humor


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family

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


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

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

Queen Elizabeth I enacted laws that persecuted Catholics in England; in response, some daring inventors created secret hiding places within Catholic homes to hide the priests from raids. In the 2013 novel, The Paris Architect, Charles Belfour transposes this real historical event into a new context: hiding Jewish people from German forces in Occupied France. The story centers on an architect in Paris who undertakes the dangerous work of designing invisible hiding places, makes new... Read The Paris Architect Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

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


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Patron Saint of Liars (1992) is Ann Patchett’s debut novel. Since its publication, Patchett has written seven more novels that feature multifaceted characters and plots that explore ambiguous moral dilemmas. These aspects of her work are present in The Patron Saint of Liars as well, which follows the story of Rose, a pregnant young woman who flees her unhappy marriage to live at a home for unwed mothers. The novel was a bestseller and... Read The Patron Saint of Liars Summary


Publication year 1947

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Family

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Historical Fiction, Education, Education

The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor... Read The Pearl Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family

Tags Race / Racism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction