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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Children's Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Crime / Legal, Inspirational, Incarceration
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Femininity
Tags Historical Fiction, Renaissance, Italian Literature, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Published by Scholastic in 2008, Rick Riordan’s The Maze of Bones is the first novel in an interactive middle grade mystery-adventure series called The 39 Clues that follows the hidden exploits and conflicts of the Cahills, the most influential family in history. Riordan is a former teacher and prolific author best known for publishing the Percy Jackson series. The 39 Clues franchise proved to be another success, with books from the series landing on the... Read The Maze of Bones Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Disability, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a work of fiction written by Kim Edwards and published in 2005. The story follows the harrowed marriage of David and Norah, beginning with the birth of their twins, Paul and Phoebe, in 1964. Conflict immediately emerges within the novel as Phoebe is born with Down’s Syndrome and David decides to give her away rather than have his wife and himself face the pain of their daughter dying early like... Read The Memory Keeper's Daughter Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, September 11 Attacks, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1915
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy
First published in 1915, Franz Kafka’s surrealist novella The Metamorphosis, translated from Die Verwandlung, is widely acclaimed and one of the author’s best-known works. Kafka, a Jewish novelist and short-story writer, is regarded for his exploration of the fantastic. Kafka employs realism to depict his protagonists in bizarre circumstances. In The Metamorphosis, Kafka incorporates themes of alienation and absurdity to convey narratives about isolated and anxious protagonists. The time period in which The Metamorphosis transpires is... Read The Metamorphosis Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Poverty, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1860
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Publication year 1959
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Historical, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction, Biography
William Gibson’s drama The Miracle Worker chronicles the relationship between the real-life Helen Keller, a young girl from Alabama who was blind and deaf, and her teacher, the Irish, headstrong Annie Sullivan from Boston. The play follows a three-act structure and was adapted from Gibson’s 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay. The staged production premiered in New York City at the Playhouse Theatre in 1959. The show received five Tony Award nominations in 1960 and won four... Read The Miracle Worker Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Indian Literature, Food, Asian Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family
Tags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Inspirational, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Business / Economics, Self Help, Biography
Publication year 1980
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, American Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1902
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
W. W. Jacobs (William Wymark Jacobs) wrote his well-known horror story “The Monkey’s Paw” in 1902. The short story is about the White family and the three wishes granted to them through an ominous monkey’s paw. The “monkey’s paw” has become part of popular culture and appeared, for example in The Simpsons television show as part of its Treehouse of Terror episodes. This guide cites the paragraphs of the Project Gutenberg version.Written in the third... Read The Monkey's Paw Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance