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 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


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Animals

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Relationships, Class, Music, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Music


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

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


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender

Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, French Literature, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is Stephen Chbosky’s first novel and was published in 1999. It is young adult fiction and a coming-of-age tale told from the perspective of Charlie, a freshman in high school. The epistolary novel is comprised of a series of letters that Charlie writes to someone he calls “friend,” although he has never met this friend in person. He makes it immediately clear that he wants to remain anonymous with... Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower Summary


Publication year 1987

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Play: Drama, Historical Fiction, African American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

IntroductionAugust Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson premiered in 1987 at Yale Repertory Theatre starring a young, unknown Samuel L. Jackson as Boy Willie. The play opened on Broadway in 1990 with Charles S. Dutton (Boy Willie), S. Epatha Merkerson (Berniece), and Jackson in his Broadway debut as Dutton’s understudy; it earned five Tony nominations, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Best Play award. It also won the... Read The Piano Lesson Summary


Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Published in 1968, Paul Zindel’s The Pigman established the young adult genre in fiction novels and became a classic book that is still read by teenagers in classrooms today. Written from the dual perspective of two high school students, Zindel takes the reader inside the mind of a teenager’s thoughts, fears, and impressions of others and examines what it means to be kind and empathetic. The novel was awarded the New York Times Outstanding Book... Read The Pigman Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage

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

The Pilot’s Wife, by Anita Shreve, was first published in 1998 by Little Brown, and was Oprah’s Book Club selection for March of 1999. Shreve, who died in 2018, was also the author of the bestselling novel, The Weight of Water, adapted into a film starring Sean Penn and Sarah Polley. Shreve’s work is known for its depth, interiority, and examination of women’s emotional lives. The Pilot’s Wife is the third novel of four in... Read The Pilot's Wife Summary


Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Disability, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction