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 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Class
Tags History: U.S., Finance / Money / Wealth, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Animals
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Sports, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, African American Literature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2015
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor
Publication year 2011
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Immigration
Tags Vietnam War, Military / War, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Mythology, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fame, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Music, Grief / Death
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Mary Downing Hahn’s eerie middle grade novel Wait Till Helen Comes (1986) is a ghost story that explores themes of family, friendship, and the emotional toll of death and guilt. Wait Till Helen Comes received a starred review from Booklist and was awarded the Texas Bluebonnet Award in 1989. The novel was also adapted into a Lifetime movie titled Little Girl’s Secret (2016), with Hahn making a cameo appearance in the film as the town... Read Wait Till Helen Comes Summary
Publication year 1972
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Great Depression, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“Walker Brothers Cowboy” by Alice Munro is a short story set during the Great Depression. The story uses the themes of The Disillusionment of Fading Childhood, The Bittersweet Effects of Nostalgia, and Finding Solace in Companionship to implicitly explore larger issues of poverty and social class. The story was published in Munro’s debut collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, in 1968. The stories in this collection are set in and around a variety of fictional... Read Walker Brothers Cowboy Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Walk Two Moons is perhaps the most famous work of Sharon Creech, a celebrated author of young adult fiction. The novel blends elements of both a coming-of-age narrative and a road story, and is set in the same literary universe as several of Creech’s other works, including Absolutely Normal Chaos (1990) and Chasing Redbird (1997). Following its 1994 publication, Walk Two Moons won numerous awards, including the 1995 Newbery Medal and the 1995 Children’s Book... Read Walk Two Moons Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World