Family Matters

As we gear up for All Henrico Reads, we’re reflecting on some of the themes in this year’s title The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford. Family, undoubtedly, plays a central role in the story as protagonist Dorothy Moy seeks to connect with generations past, cope with her inherited trauma, and alter the path of her daughter’s future. Her journey makes evident that family - whether given or chosen, past or present - shapes us in powerful ways. Gut-wrenching, beautiful, dysfunctional, and hilarious, the titles below examine “family” in its many shapes and forms. 

Browse our recommendations below to find read-alikes that center around “family.”

And if you haven't read this year's title, there's still plenty of time. Visit our catalog to find a digital or hard copy, then explore other blog posts, like our entry on Chinese-American stories, for recommended next-reads that examine similar themes. Plus, don’t forget to join us for a conversation with Jamie Ford on Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at J.R. Tucker High School! We’d love to hear what questions you have for the author. Send us your thoughts and we’ll ask some of our favorite submissions during the Q&A portion of the event.

Between Siblings

• Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
• The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
• The Promise by David Galgut

Charmingly Dysfunctional

• Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
• Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
• The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Family Secrets

• Don't Let Him Know by Sandip Roy
• The Other Mother by Rachel M. Harper
• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart

Grief-Stricken

• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
• The Removed by Brandon Hobson

The Matriarch

• The Twelve Tribes of Hattieby Ayana Mathis
• The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs

My Family: An Autobiography

• The Family Outing: A Memoir by Jessi Hempel
• On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Reunited

• A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
• Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Through the Years: Multigenerational Sagas

• America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum
• Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros
• Disoriental by Negar Djavadi
• The Love Songs of W.E.B Du Bois by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
• The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
• Salt Houses by Hala Alyan