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 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Race
Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Western, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, LGBTQ
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1991
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is Julia Alvarez’s debut novel and was influenced by her experiences as a young girl living in the Dominican Republic. While the novel’s Garcia girls were born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to New York, Alvarez was born in New York and immigrated to the Dominican Republic. Like other Alvarez novels, this book explores the tensions and difficulties that immigrants experience throughout their lives. It also provides... Read How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment
Tags Humor, Romance, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Society: Community
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Humor
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe (2010) is a science fiction novel by American writer Charles Yu. Yu wrote the novel after merging two separate story ideas—one about a father-son relationship and the other about a man who keeps waking up in different universes. The narrative views the emotional tension between the father and son through the lens of quantum mechanics and popular philosophy. The novel was a finalist for the John... Read How To Live Safely In a Science Fictional Universe Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family
Tags Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2020
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Education, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: Class, Society: Immigration
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Asian Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: Asian, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Afro-Caribbean Literature, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Southern Gothic
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature, Class
Publication year 1980
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Self Discovery
Tags Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Health / Medicine, Disability
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community
Tags Parenting, Self Help, Psychology, Anthropology
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction