Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Tradition
The Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore
A magical tale of a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.
On the night of Christmas Eve , a family is settling down to sleep when the father is disturbed by noises on the lawn outside. Looking out the window, he sees Saint Nicholas in a sleigh pulled by ... (Wikipedia)
The Sound and the Fury
by William Faulkner
Tragic story of the decline of a southern family, exploring the human condition.
The first section of the novel is narrated by Benjamin "Benjy" Compson, a source of shame to the family due to his diminished mental capacity; the only characters who show genuine care for him are ... (Wikipedia)
Dreams of Joy
by Lisa See
A young woman's journey to discover her Chinese roots, only to find unexpected truth and tragedy.
Dreams of Joy is organized in four sections—The Tiger Leaps, The Rabbit Dodges, The Dog Grins, and The Dragon Rises. Joy is the Tiger – romantic, artistic, rash, and impulsive. In this novel, unlike ... (Wikipedia)
Little House in the Big Woods
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Childhood memories of living on a family farm in the Midwest during the late 19th century.
The novel describes the homesteading skills Laura observed and began to practice during her fifth year. It does not contain the more mature (yet real) themes addressed in later books of the series ... (Wikipedia)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
by Helen Simonson
A widower finds love and acceptance in an unlikely place, challenging social conventions.
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as ... (Goodreads)
The Hare With Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss
by Edmund de Waal
A journey through time, tracing the history of a family's collection of art and their struggles with loss.
The Ephrussis were a grand banking family, as rich and respected as the Rothschilds, who “burned like a comet” in nineteenth-century Paris and Vienna society. Yet by the end of World War II, almost ... (Goodreads)
The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
A moving story of two siblings growing up in India, exploring love, politics, and class.
The year is 1969. In the state of Kerala, on the southernmost tip of India, a skyblue Plymouth with chrome tailfins is stranded on the highway amid a Marxist workers' demonstration. Inside the car ... (Goodreads)
Chocolat
by Joanne Harris
An enchanting tale of love, belonging, and the power of chocolate.
Vianne Rocher, with her daughter Anouk, come to the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes. They are brought by "the wind" during the last days of Carnival to open a, chocolaterie, , La ... (Wikipedia)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
by Gabriel García Márquez
A murder mystery narrated by the townspeople and tracing the events leading up to the crime.
The non-linear story, told by an anonymous narrator, begins with the morning of Santiago Nasar's death. The reader learns that Santiago lives with his mother, Placida Linero; the cook, Victoria ... (Wikipedia)
The Doll's House
by Neil Gaiman
A dark fantasy exploring the cruelty and power of fairy tales, and the consequences of secrets.
As part of a manhood ritual, an old man in the desert tells a younger man an ancient story, detailing the tragic love between Dream and Queen Nada. Fearing the consequences of loving an immortal, ... (Wikipedia)
The Bamboo Stalk
by سعود السنعوسي
A young man's search for identity and purpose in a world of tradition and orthodoxy.
لماذا كان جلوسي تحت الشجرة يزعج أمي؟ أتراها كانت تخشى أن تنبت لي جذور تضرب في عمق الأرض ما يجعل عودتي إلى بلاد أبي أمراً مستحيلاً؟..ربما، ولكن، حتى الجذور لا تعني شيئاً أحياناً. لو كنت مثل نبتة ... (Goodreads)
Memoirs of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
A Japanese girl's journey from poverty to becoming a celebrated geisha, navigating the treacherous world of Japanese customs.
In 1929, nine-year old Chiyo Sakamoto and her 15-year-old sister, Satsu, are sold by their father to work within the entertainment districts of Kyoto. They are taken from their home, the coastal ... (Wikipedia)
The Bridge on the Drina
by Ivo Andrić
A multigenerational epic of a small Bosnian town and the bridge that stands as its symbol.
A vivid depiction of the suffering history has imposed upon the people of Bosnia from the late sixteenth century to the beginning of World War I, The Bridge on the Drina earned Ivo Andric the Nobel ... (Goodreads)
The Lottery
by Shirley Jackson
A small village's annual lottery reveals a dark secret, with sinister implications.
Details of contemporary small-town American life are embroidered upon a description of an annual rite known as "the lottery". In a small village of about 300 residents, the locals are in an excited ... (Wikipedia)
Geisha, a Life
by Mineko Iwasaki
Autobiography of a geisha, recounting her life of beauty, art, and traditional Japanese culture.
"No woman in the three-hundred-year history of the karyukai has ever come forward in public to tell her story. We have been constrained by unwritten rules not to do so, by the robes of tradition and ... (Goodreads)
The Bonesetter's Daughter
by Amy Tan
A Chinese-American woman rediscovers her heritage, uncovering her family's deep past.
Ruth is a self-sufficient woman who makes her living as a ghostwriter for self-help books . She lives with her boyfriend, Art Kamen, and acts as a stepmother to Art's two teenage daughters, Dory and ... (Wikipedia)
The Masterharper of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey
An apprentice harper strives to protect his community against a deadly plague while learning magical music.
Robinton was rejected by his jealous father, Petiron, and spent most of his childhood with his nurturing mother. Since Robinton grew up in a very musically-inclined setting, all the inhabitants ... (Wikipedia)
Holidays on Ice
by David Sedaris
Collection of humorous essays, exploring the absurdities of the holiday season.
David Sedaris's beloved holiday collection is new again with six more pieces, including a never before published story. Along with such favorites as the diaries of a Macy's elf and the annals of two ... (Goodreads)
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
by Lisa See
A woman's search for identity in the face of cultural expectations and familial secrets.
In their remote mountain village, Li-yan and her family align their lives around the seasons and the farming of tea. For the Akha people, ensconced in ritual and routine, life goes on as it has for ... (Goodreads)
LaRose
by Louise Erdrich
A family's tragedy brings them together, pushing them to confront the past and embrace their future.
LaRose is set in North Dakota , on an Ojibwa reservation in the "era of George W. Bush and 9/11." , The novel's protagonist is LaRose Iron, a young Native American boy. , His father, Landreaux Iron, ... (Wikipedia)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
by Lisa See
Story of two women in 19th-century China, exploring the power of female friendship.
In rural Hunan province called Puwei (nicknamed the Common Beauty Village), a county in China, Lily is destined to become a, laotong, pair with Snow Flower, a girl of the same age from Tongkou (the ... (Wikipedia)
The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant
A tale of the powerful women of the Old Testament, uncovering their traditions and struggles.
Dinah opens the story by recounting for readers the union of her mother Leah and father Jacob , as well as the expansion of the family to include Leah's sister Rachel , and the handmaids Zilpah and ... (Wikipedia)
The Namesake
by Jhumpa Lahiri
A young Indian-American's journey of reconciling two different cultures and his own identity.
The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli, a young Bengali couple, leave Calcutta , India, and settle in Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts . Ashoke is an engineering student at the ... (Wikipedia)
Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
by Jean Sasson
An inside look at the life of a Saudi princess, filled with struggles and struggles for freedom.
Sultana is a Saudi Arabian princess, a woman born to fabulous, uncountable wealth. She has four mansions on three continents, her own private jet, glittering jewels, designer dresses galore. But in ... (Goodreads)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
by Jan-Philipp Sendker
An epic search for the truth, discovering the power of love and the beauty of forgiveness.
A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present. When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without ... (Goodreads)
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
by Jacob Grimm
Classic collection of folktales and children's stories, exploring morality, adventure and magic.
Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales, collects more than 200 tales set down by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early decades of the nineteenth century, among them some of the best-loved and most famous fairy ... (Barnes & Noble)
Things Fall Apart
by Chinua Achebe
Exploration of African culture and traditions, grappling with the tension between modernity and tradition.
The novel's protagonist , Okonkwo, is famous in the villages of Umuofia for being a wrestling champion, defeating a wrestler nicknamed "Amalinze The Cat" (because he never lands on his back). Okonkwo ... (Wikipedia)
The Storyteller
by Jodi Picoult
A storyteller's quest to restore faith in the power of storytelling and to mend the wounds of her past.
25-year-old Sage Singer lives in the small town of Westerbrook, New Hampshire . , A couple of years before the story began, Sage and her mother were in a car accident while Sage was driving. Sage's ... (Wikipedia)
The Last Sin Eater
by Francine Rivers
A young girl's journey to discover the truth behind an ancient Appalachian ritual.
The Last Sin Eater revolves around Cadi Forbes, ten-year-old girl who lives in a settlement community of Welsh Americans in the mid-1850s. Cadi carries a heavy burden of guilt and grief because of ... (Wikipedia)
The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
A folktale of a brave girl who defies the dark forces threatening her village.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn't mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a ... (Goodreads)
Silence
by Shūsaku Endō
A Portuguese priest in Japan faces persecution in pursuit of his faith.
The young Portuguese Jesuit priest Sebastião Rodrigues (based on the historical Italian figure Giuseppe Chiara ) travels to Japan to assist the local Church and investigate reports that his mentor, a ... (Wikipedia)
Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
by Maurice Sendak
A rhythmic journey through the months of the year, celebrating the joys of childhood.
For over fifty years, children have discovered that, whether it’s June or December, every month is perfect for Chicken Soup with Rice ! Now in a larger, 5 x 7 trim size,, Chicken Soup with Rice, is a ... (Barnes & Noble)
Ethan Frome
by Edith Wharton
Tale of doomed romance set against a harsh New England winter.
The novel is a framed narrative . The framing story concerns an unnamed male narrator spending a winter in Starkfield while in the area on business. He spots a limping, quiet man around the village, ... (Wikipedia)
Go Set a Watchman
by Harper Lee
Confronting the past and present, a woman struggles to reconcile her beliefs with those of her hometown.
Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, a single 26-year-old, returns from New York to her hometown, Maycomb, Alabama, for her annual fortnight-long visit to her father Atticus, a lawyer and former state ... (Wikipedia)
From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death
by Caitlin Doughty
Journey to explore different cultures' death rituals, evaluating one's own mortality.
A New York Times and Los Angeles Times Bestseller “Doughty chronicles [death] practices with tenderheartedness, a technician’s fascination, and an unsentimental respect for grief.” —Jill Lepore, The ... (Barnes & Noble)
Cold Comfort Farm
by Stella Gibbons
A young woman moves to the countryside to bring order to the chaotic lives of her relatives.
Following the death of her parents, the book's heroine, Flora Poste, finds she is possessed "of every art and grace save that of earning her own living". She decides to take advantage of the fact ... (Wikipedia)
Digging to America
by Anne Tyler
Two families from different cultures, connected by the adoption of two babies, explore the complexities of family and culture.
Digging to America is a story set in Baltimore, Maryland about two very different families’ experiences with adoption and their relationships with each other. Sami and Ziba Yazdan, an ... (Wikipedia)
An Irish Country Doctor
by Patrick Taylor
A humorous look at the lives of a small Irish town and the country doctor who cares for them.
The Irish Country Novels are an ongoing series of historical fiction books written by Patrick Taylor and published by Forge Books . , The first book in the series, An Irish Country Doctor , was ... (Wikipedia)
The Once and Future King
by T.H. White
Epic chronicle of King Arthur, exploring themes of morality, justice, and power.
The story starts in the final years of the rule of King Uther Pendragon . The first part, "The Sword in the Stone", chronicles Arthur's upbringing by his foster father Sir Ector , his rivalry and ... (Wikipedia)
The Bridges of Constantine
by Ahlam Mosteghanemi
A woman's exploration of her past and present, understanding the power of memory.
في حضور الوجدان تتألق معاني أحلام مستغانمي، وفي ذاكرة الجسد تتوج حضورها، حروفاً كلمات عبارات تتقاطر في حفل الغناء الروحي. موسيقاه الوطن المنبعث برغم الجراحات... مليون شهيد وثورة ومجاهد، وجزائر الثكلى ... (Goodreads)
A River Runs Through it and Other Stories
by Norman Maclean
A series of stories about the life of a family and the relationship between two brothers.
Just as Norman Maclean writes at the end of "A River Runs through It" that he is "haunted by waters," so have readers been haunted by his novella. A retired English professor who began writing ... (Goodreads)
Howards End
by E.M. Forster
Exploration of the societal divides in early 20th century England, and the consequences of class prejudice.
Howards End is a novel by E. M. Forster about social conventions, codes of conduct and relationships in turn-of-the-century England. A strong-willed and intelligent woman refuses to allow the ... (Goodreads)
My Name Is Red
by Orhan Pamuk
An art mystery set in 16th century Istanbul, delving into the power of art, religion and love.
At once a fiendishly devious mystery, a beguiling love story, and a brilliant symposium on the power of art, My Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor and religious intrigue of ... (Goodreads)
Brideshead Revisited
by Evelyn Waugh
A nostalgic reflection on a wealthy family and the enduring power of love.
The novel is divided into three parts, framed by a prologue and epilogue. The prologue takes place during the final years of the Second World War . Charles Ryder and his battalion are sent to a ... (Wikipedia)
Orthodoxy
by G.K. Chesterton
An exploration of the spiritual and moral foundations of Christianity.
This book is meant to be a companion to "Heretics," and to put the positive side in addition to the negative. Many critics complained of the book because it merely criticised current philosophies ... (Goodreads)
The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
by Betty Edwards
Exploring creativity through the science of art, unlocking the power of the right side of the brain.
When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty ... (Goodreads)
Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family
by Thomas Mann
A story of a family's decline, tracing four generations of a wealthy German family.
In 1835, the wealthy and respected Buddenbrooks, a family of grain merchants, invite their friends and relatives to dinner in their new home in Lübeck , Germany . The family consists of patriarch ... (Wikipedia)
A Painted House
by John Grisham
A young boy's journey of growing up on an Arkansas cotton farm, learning life lessons along the way.
"The hill people and the Mexicans arrived on the same day. It was a Wednesday, early in September 1952. The Cardinals were five games behind the Dodgers with three weeks to go, and the season looked ... (Goodreads)
The Witch Boy
by Molly Knox Ostertag
A young boy's struggles against the gender expectations of his magical family.
Nella famiglia di Aster, una cosa è certa: tutte le ragazze sono destinate a diventare streghe, e i ragazzi saranno dei mutaforma. Non sono ammesse eccezioni. Peccato che Aster sia affascinato dalla ... (Goodreads)
Thank You, Jeeves
by P.G. Wodehouse
A bumbling English gentleman finds help from his brilliant valet, thwarting all manner of social disasters.
After a falling-out concerning Bertie's relentless playing of the banjolele , Jeeves leaves his master's service and finds work with Bertie's old friend, Lord "Chuffy" Chuffnell . Bertie travels to ... (Wikipedia)
The Bookseller of Kabul
by Åsne Seierstad
An intimate look into the lives of an Afghan family, exploring culture and faith.
In spring 2002, following the fall of the Taliban, Åsne Seierstad spent four months living with a bookseller and his family in Kabul. For more than twenty years Sultan Khan defied the authorities—be ... (Goodreads)
The Hungry Tide
by Amitav Ghosh
A story of love, loss, and discovery set in the Sundarbans region of India.
Off the easternmost corner of India, in the Bay of Bengal, lies the immense labyrinth of tiny islands known as the Sundarbans, where settlers live in fear of drowning tides and man-eating tigers. ... (Goodreads)
2 States: The Story of My Marriage
by Chetan Bhagat
A romantic comedy about two people from different cultural backgrounds who must overcome family opposition to be together.
2 States: The Story of My Marriage is autobiographical with only names changed. The story is about a couple Krish and Ananya, who hail from two different states of India, Punjab and Tamil Nadu , ... (Wikipedia)
Jade City
by Fonda Lee
Epic fantasy tale of generations of a powerful crime family in a city of magical jade.
Bero, a minor thief, attempts to steal jade from a No Peak Fist while he is dining in a clan-affiliated restaurant, but Bero and his Abukei accomplice Sampa are quickly caught and brought to Hilo for ... (Wikipedia)
Interpreter of Maladies
by Jhumpa Lahiri
Collection of stories exploring the struggles of Indian-American immigrants in the US.
A married couple, Shukumar and Shoba, live as strangers in their house until an electrical outage brings them together when all of sudden "they [are] able to talk to each other again" in the four ... (Wikipedia)
Garcia Lorca: La Casa de Bernarda Alba
by Federico García Lorca
A group of women in rural Spain, oppressed by the matriarchal rule of a domineering mother.
Upon her second husband's death, domineering matriarch Bernarda Alba imposes an eight-year mourning period on her household in accordance with her family tradition. Bernarda has five daughters, aged ... (Wikipedia)
Islam Between East and West
by Alija Izetbegović
Exploring the tension between East and West from an Islamic perspective.
كتاب «الإسلام بين الشرق والغرب»، هو نتيجة لدراسة واسعة متعددة الجوانب لأبرز الأفكار العالمية في تاريخ البشرية المعاصر. إن ظاهرة نسيان الذات التي تميز بها التاريخ الحديث للعالم الإسلامي، تضع المفكر ... (Goodreads)
Portrait in Sepia
by Isabel Allende
A woman's search for her true identity, connecting the past and present.
Portrait in Sepia is the sequel to, Daughter of Fortune, and follows the story of Aurora del Valle, the granddaughter of Eliza Sommers (, Hija de la fortuna, ). The daughter of Lynn Sommers (the ... (Wikipedia)
Here I Am
by Jonathan Safran Foer
A multi-generational Jewish family struggles to make sense of the chaos of the 21st century.
Christian Lorentzen has described the plot as a blend of several different events, including "[a] divorce, a suicide, a bar mitzvah, an earthquake, an all-out Middle Eastern war, and the putting to ... (Wikipedia)
The Island
by Victoria Hislop
A family's secrets unfold as they grapple with the consequences of the Greek Civil War.
On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before ... (Goodreads)
The Joy Luck Club
by Amy Tan
A story of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their daughters, exploring culture, family, identity and relationships.
The Joy Luck Club consists of sixteen interlocking stories about the lives of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their four American-born daughters. , In 1949, the four mothers meet at the First ... (Wikipedia)
Shadow Spell
by Nora Roberts
An Irishwoman discovers secrets of her past while uncovering a powerful, magical legacy.
With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has ... (Goodreads)
Like Water for Chocolate
by Laura Esquivel
Magical tale of forbidden love, crossed by cultural and family traditions.
The book is divided into 12 sections named after the months of the year, starting in January and ending in December. Each section begins with a Mexican recipe . The chapters connect each dish to an ... (Wikipedia)
The Chosen
by Chaim Potok
Story of two boys from different backgrounds learning to understand each other and their place in the world.
In 1944 Brooklyn, fifteen-year-old Reuven Malter prepares to play a baseball game: his own Modern Orthodox school against a team from an ultra-orthodox Hasidic yeshiva. It becomes apparent that the ... (Wikipedia)
The Histories
by Herodotus
Exploration into the rise and fall of empires in the ancient world.
One of the masterpieces of classical literature, the "Histories" describes how a small and quarrelsome band of Greek city states united to repel the might of the Persian empire. But while this epic ... (Goodreads)
Kitchens of the Great Midwest
by J. Ryan Stradal
A heartwarming tale of interconnected lives, all connected by their shared love of food.
The novel centers around Eva, a culinary prodigy born with a “once-in-a-generation palate” to a chef father and a sommelier mother. Though growing up in poverty and facing numerous challenges, by age ... (Wikipedia)
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
A gentle bull refuses to fight, instead choosing to sit in a field and smell the flowers.
Young Ferdinand does not enjoy butting heads with other young bulls , preferring instead to sit under a cork tree smelling the flowers. His mother is concerned that he might be lonely and tries to ... (Wikipedia)
The Samurai's Garden
by Gail Tsukiyama
A young man's journey of healing in a remote Japanese village.
A 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent ... (Goodreads)
The Kiss of Deception
by Mary E. Pearson
A princess is forced to flee her arranged marriage and discovers unexpected allies on her journey.
The first book of the, New York Times, bestselling Remnant Chronicles. “Fantastical.” —,USA Today, She flees on her wedding day. She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Strega Nona
by Tomie dePaola
A magical old woman uses her powers to teach a village about consequences of foolishness.
Set in Calabria , in southern Italy, the book focuses on the exploits of Strega Nona. She is a sort of witch doctor noted throughout her home village for her numerous successful remedies. She helps ... (Wikipedia)
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
by Nadia Hashimi
A young Afghan girl's struggle to break free from oppressive traditions and find her own path.
Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own fate that combines the cultural ... (Goodreads)
Mythology
by Edith Hamilton
A comprehensive exploration of ancient Greek, Roman, and Norse myths.
The world-renowned classic that has enthralled and delighted millions of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes.,Edith Hamilton's, Mythology, succeeds like no other book in bringing to ... (Goodreads)
A Week in Winter
by Maeve Binchy
A tale of friendship, love, and unexpected connections in a small Irish village.
Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the ... (Goodreads)
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
by Alexander McCall Smith
A humorous and heartwarming tale of an African family's daily life, tackling the issues of modern society.
Mma Ramotswe meets her second cousin, who comes to the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency for help. Tati Monyena works for the hospital in Mochudi, where a series of three deaths in the same bed in the ... (Wikipedia)
The Full Cupboard of Life
by Alexander McCall Smith
A heartwarming story of a woman's journey of self-discovery, finding joy in life.
Mma Ramotswe is now engaged to the mechanic Mr. JLB Matekoni, but he seems reluctant to set a wedding date, which makes her a little unhappy. She takes on an interesting investigation: Mma Holonga, a ... (Wikipedia)
A Land More Kind Than Home
by Wiley Cash
An exploration of the rural American South, casting a spotlight on the bonds of family and the power of faith.
In his phenomenal debut novel—a mesmerizing literary thriller about the bond between two brothers and the evil they face in a small North Carolina town—author Wiley Cash displays a remarkable talent ... (Barnes & Noble)
Sometimes a Great Notion
by Ken Kesey
A powerful story of a family's struggle against the odds and the forces of change.
The story centers on the Stamper family, a hard-headed logging clan in the coastal town of Wakonda, on the Oregon coast, in the early 1960s. The union loggers in Wakonda go on strike in demand of the ... (Wikipedia)
At Home in Mitford
by Jan Karon
Small town life in Mitford, filled with spiritual and comedic moments.
Enter the world of Mitford, and you won't want to leave. It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally ... (Goodreads)
The Christmas Shoes
by Donna VanLiere
A journey of redemption and the power of love during the Christmas season.
Sometimes, the things that can change your life will cross your path in one instant-and then, in a fleeting moment, they're gone. But if you open your eyes, and watch carefully, you will believe.... ... (Goodreads)
A Thousand Acres
by Jane Smiley
A family's story of death and inheritance, exposing secrets of their past.
Larry Cook is an aging farmer who decides to incorporate his farm, handing complete and joint ownership to his three daughters, Ginny, Rose, and Caroline. When the youngest daughter objects, she is ... (Wikipedia)
All-of-a-Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
Five sisters navigate life in early 1900s New York, learning lessons in love and family.
Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertrude are five sisters growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1912. The book follows them through a year of their childhood, as they deal with mundane ... (Wikipedia)
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
by Bill Buford
A culinary journey of personal & professional growth, from apprentice to master.
The book that helped define a genre: Heat is a beloved culinary classic, an adventure in the kitchen and into Italian cuisine, by Bill Buford, author of Dirt . Bill Buford was a highly acclaimed ... (Barnes & Noble)
Texas, Volume I
by James A. Michener
Epic saga of the Lone Star state, weaving together the histories of its numerous settlers.
Spanning four and a half centuries, James A. Michener’s monumental saga chronicles the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors to its current reputation as one ... (Goodreads)
A Christmas Memory
by Truman Capote
A nostalgic tale of childhood innocence, exploring the bittersweet joys of the holiday season.
Narrated by an unnamed, seven-year-old boy who is referred to as "Buddy" by his older cousin, "A Christmas Memory" is about the narrator's relationship with his older, unnamed, female cousin, to whom ... (Wikipedia)
When Dimple Met Rishi
by Sandhya Menon
An Indian-American teenage girl's unexpected journey to find love, independence, and her true self.
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family—and from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” ... (Goodreads)
Hawaii
by James A. Michener
Epic saga of the history, culture and people of the Hawaiian Islands.
The novel tells the history of Hawaiian Islands from the creation of the isles to the time they became an American state, through the viewpoints of selected characters who represent their ethnic and ... (Wikipedia)
The Lords of Discipline
by Pat Conroy
A young man's struggle to survive the brutal hazing rituals of a Southern military college.
Will McLean, returning to the Carolina Military Institute in Charleston, South Carolina an unknown number of years after his graduation, tells the story of his life at the Institute. In 1966, Will ... (Wikipedia)
The Royal We
by Heather Cocks
A modern fairytale of a young woman's romance with a prince, and the challenges of life as a royal.
An American girl finds her prince in this "fun and dishy" (, People,) royal romance inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton.,American Bex Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act
by Kieron Gillen
A group of gods incarnated as humans must choose between creating a utopia or facing destruction.
The narrative focuses on a group of people with superhuman powers known as "The Pantheon". Each member of The Pantheon was at one point a normal person before being chosen to merge with the spirit of ... (Wikipedia)
The Promise
by Chaim Potok
A young man's journey to reconcile his religious beliefs with his passion for secular studies.
The Promise starts a few months after The Chosen left off, with Danny having just started his graduate program in psychology and Reuven having started rabbinical school. The novel begins in the ... (Wikipedia)
The Museum of Innocence
by Orhan Pamuk
A story of unrequited love set in the city of Istanbul, exploring the power of nostalgia and memory.
Kemal has been engaged to a pretty girl named Sibel for two months when he meets a shop girl, Füsun, while buying a handbag for his fiancee. What follows in the next month and a half is an intense ... (Wikipedia)
Evening Class
by Maeve Binchy
A group of strangers come together to learn Italian, forging relationships, finding love and understanding.
Among the many evening classes starting all over Dublin is an 'Introduction to Italian'. On the surface it could be just one of hundreds in which some students will succeed and some will fall along ... (Goodreads)
Stay with Me
by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
A sweeping tale of love, betrayal, and the power of family, set in Nigeria.
This celebrated, unforgettable first novel, shortlisted for the prestigious Women's Prize for Fiction and set in Nigeria, gives voice to both husband and wife as they tell the story of their ... (Goodreads)
Out to Canaan
by Jan Karon
An inspiring story of a small-town community overcoming obstacles to create a better future.
As the story of Father Tim's Episcopalian Mitford parish continues, he finds himself in the very thick of things. Far from the bachelor life he knew for 62 years, he now finds himself opening his ... (Wikipedia)
Chesapeake
by James A. Michener
A sweeping saga of four generations of a family living in Maryland and their struggles to adapt to changing times.
The story-line, like much of Michener's work, depicts a number of characters within family groups over a long time period, richly illustrating the history of the area through these families' ... (Wikipedia)
Blue Shoes and Happiness
by Alexander McCall Smith
A charming tale of an African family's search for love and happiness.
Mma Ramotswe is asked to investigate a cook who is being blackmailed , and a doctor whose nurse believes he is doing something illegal. She discovers the identity of the blackmailer, who is a ... (Wikipedia)
Fruits Basket, Vol. 1
by Natsuki Takaya
A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery as she interacts with a mysterious family cursed by the Zodiac.
When high school student Tohru Honda 's mother dies in a car accident, Tohru decides to live with her grandfather. Renovations on the house and an unsupportive and unkind family members cause her to ... (Wikipedia)
The Children of Noisy Village
by Astrid Lindgren
A group of children living in a small Swedish village, navigating the joys and sorrows of life.
Welcome to Noisy Village! Go crayfishing in the summer at Nocken, "dipping in the pot" at Christmastime with Lisa and Karl, and join Britta and Anna who know the best way to go about "nutting" for ... (Goodreads)
The Shunning
by Beverly Lewis
A young woman's struggle to reconcile her faith with her family's expectations.
When Katie Lapp finds the satin infant gown in the dusty leather trunk of her parents' attic, she knows it holds a secret she must discover. Why else would her Amish mother, a plain and simple woman ... (Goodreads)
The Law of Moses
by Amy Harmon
A young woman's journey of self-discovery amidst a complex family legacy.
If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare. Someone found him ... (Goodreads)
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