Prepare to be swept away by the power of family narratives that challenge, inspire, and ultimately remind us of what it means to belong. From multi-generational sagas to family struggles, these stories are filled with emotion that make these tales unforgettable. We have curated a list of family dramas that will resonate with you.
The Abolitionist’s Daughter by Diane C. McPhail
This powerful, profoundly emotional novel from the acclaimed author of The Seamstress of New Orleans explores a little-known aspect of Civil War history—Southern Abolitionists—and the timeless struggle to do right even amidst bitter conflict.
After the Ocean by Lauren E. Rico
A painful unsolved mystery resurfaces after decades of confusion, sending one woman and her daughters on a journey of redemption in this emotional story about intergenerational trauma, family, and the beauty of Puerto Rico for fans of Nina LaCour, Xochitl Gonzalez, Elizabeth Acevedo, Jodi Picoult, Celeste Ng, and Julia Alvarez.
The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko and Liz Parker
Giving all the “Little Women” the stories they deserve at last, this imaginative historical novel and companion to the much-loved classic draws Meg, Beth, and Amy March from behind the shadow of Jo as vibrant and unforgettable characters grappling with societal strictures, queer love, motherhood, chronic illness, artistic ambition, and more.
The Road to Bittersweet by Donna Everhart
Set in the Carolinas in the 1940s, this riveting novel of historical fiction from the acclaimed and award-winning author of The Saints of Swallow Hill is a beautifully written, evocative account of a young woman reckoning not just with the unforgiving landscape, but with the rocky emotional terrain that leads from innocence to wisdom.
Home and Away by Rochelle Alers
Spanning more than eighty years, from Memphis in the 1930s and 1940s to present-day Chicago, this sweeping novel draws on the turbulent history of the Negro Baseball Leagues, as the great-granddaughter of a former player sets out to tell her family’s story—and redefine her own.
The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Before We Were Yours meets Water for Elephants in New York Times bestselling author Ellen Marie Wiseman’s vivid, daring, emotional novel about the devastating power of family secrets—beginning in the poignant, lurid world of a Depression-era traveling circus and coming full circle in the transformative 1950s. Moving between Julia and Lilly’s stories, Ellen Marie Wiseman portrays two extraordinary, very different women in a novel that is tender, heart wrenching, and hopeful.
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