In Sisters of a Halved Heart, the acclaimed author of The Magnificent Ruins returns with a propulsive story of love and passion and the ultimate pull of family. The novel examines the lengths we will go to in order to make our own narratives of love work out, the lies we tell ourselves, and the ways in which the truth, often right in front of you, can be impossible to see.
Whether close-knit, estranged, or at each other’s throats, family dynamics offer a never-ending well of themes for authors to explore across genres. And it doesn’t matter how many books about family are written, the dynamics are so specific to every family that we will never be done wanting to peek into someone else’s home to understand, empathize, feel seen, and maybe even judge a little.
Below you’ll find very different families facing different issues, while all trying their best. While they are all family-centered novels, there’s a mix of categories, genres, and tropes used to explore family themes. There’s a complicated father-daughter relationship at the heart of a murder-mystery set in Costa Rica, an Afghan American family you never hear directly from but get everyone else’s opinion on, three generations of a Puerto Rican family navigating trauma passed down from mothers to daughters, a look at an “imperfect” Korean family under the weight of the “perfect” American life, and more.
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
This novel centers on an Afghan American family, but with the twist that you never hear directly from the family members. There has been a tragedy, and everyone has an opinion on the Sharaf family and what happened, including investigators, lawyers, friends, neighbors, and strangers. This is how you’ll get to know the family and their life in Virginia, where Rahmat has built a comfortable life for his wife, Maryam, and their four children. The oldest children, Omer and Zorah, couldn’t be more different in personality and academic life, with Zorah being the cherished child. Can the events of a tragedy and a family’s dynamics be pieced together by others’ opinions?
This Is the Only Kingdom by Jaquira Díaz
This generational family drama focuses on mother-daughter relationships. From Puerto Rico to Miami, we watch over decades as three generations of women fight to forge a path while carrying the weight of family ties, history, and trauma. As a teenager, Maricarmen tried to navigate around her mother’s strict rules but ended up being thrown out of the house for confessing her love for a forbidden boy. But her mother didn’t just throw her out of the house; she also moved away with Maricarmen’s sister without telling her. And that’s just the beginning of this family drama, deeply rooted in community.
Leave Your Mess At Home by Tolani Akinola
Eldest daughter Sola’s L.A. life as an influencer implodes after a messy breakup, and she moves back to Chicago for what is not a celebratory return home from her Nigerian family. Her three other adult siblings are also navigating difficult situations, from Anjola, who is in love with her engaged best friend, to Ola, who is unsure of becoming a father. Throw in secrets, and it’s bound to get even messier.
Together We See by Ari Tison (June 16th)
A daughter travels to Costa Rica for her father’s funeral in this YA murder mystery. A Bribri-American teenager, Ulá, and her brother, Kabék, travel from Wisconsin to Costa Rica for their father Andres’ funeral. This is told through multiple points of view, including Ulá, who tries to navigate feelings about losing her estranged father, and a reporter from Limón, who is looking into Andres’ death and its connection to his land activism.
American Han by Lisa Lee
Spanning the ‘80s to the early aughts, we follow a Korean family under the weight of the perfect American Dream. Every member of the Han family is currently struggling in their personal life. Siblings Jane and Kevin Han have always been the model children expected of them, but suddenly find themselves struggling as a third-year law student (Jane) and an almost professional tennis player who became a cop (Kevin). It doesn’t help that their father leaves his business to drive a truck across the country, and their mother decides to leave their father.
Not With a Bang by Temi Oh (July 13th)
Told in before and after the event storylines, we follow a family with four daughters—one planning a wedding, another looking for a missing friend—with a former police officer father who is now a doomsday prepper. Each is on a different path in life, they’ve got secrets, and communication isn’t great. But what do your family problems look like during a catastrophe, especially if it physically separates you?
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