It’s the second day of the week! It’s also time for a Top 5 Tuesday update. Top 5 Tuesdays was initially created by Shanah @ the Bionic Bookworm but is now currently being hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads.

This week’s topic: Top 5 books about Family

Books with themes of family dynamics, whether it be supportive or otherwise, are always fascinating. What are your fave books with all of the family drama?

Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg

Snippet from my Review: The portrait of family life was captured by Ginzburg’s unflinching gaze. Writing about one’s childhood would have resulted in a nostalgic or even sentimental trip down memory lane. That was, however, not the case with Family Sayings. While there were some omissions, as she would write in the preface, she rarely embellished the story. She let the readers into an important part of her life while, at the same time, keeping her distance. As she iterated in the preface, “I have had no great wish to speak of myself, since this story is not in fact my own but rather, in spite of all its gaps and omissions, the record of my family.” For sure, the Levi family was the focal point of the story. In a way, the novel functioned as Ginzburg’s own reckoning with her memory of her younger years but mainly of her father who was a man of contrast.

Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann

Snippet from my Review: The burden of heritage and family duties weighed down on many of the characters. This further widened the schism that existed among them. These were also factors in the eventual decline of the family business. Thomas tried to salvage a sinking ship but he does not possess his father’s business acumen and leadership skills. The family fortune was slowly dwindling under his leadership. Their situation was exacerbated by Thomas’ siblings who were not faring any better in their own pursuits. They were living unproductive lives and were not contributing any value to either the family name or fortune. This marked the start of the family’s decline. The heir apparent also showed little interest in running the business. The business and the family’s decline ultimately culminated with the heir apparent’s tragic and untimely demise.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Snippet from my Review: Parts-coming-of-age and parts family saga, Murray’s fourth novel is a compelling examination of dysfunctional families, the consequences of our decisions, and how the secrets we keep from each other can threaten harmony. The story of the Barnes family was tragic but it was also comic, riddled with wit and complimented by riveting prose that reels the readers in. Slivers of hope riddled the story of the Barnes family. However, the novel was bereft of a definite conclusion, with Murray refusing to fully satisfy the readers. The conclusion was left to the readers’ imagination. Nevertheless, The Bee Sting is a lush tapestry that consolidates Murray’s mettle as a top-caliber storyteller.

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Snippet from my Review: At one point, Lucy intimates: “I’m not trying to own my life just acknowledge it, as well as the narrative of our family, its small significant journey. Is this not an American tale?” This line encapsulates the literary journey he took the readers. Bridge of Sighs is a family saga, a coming-of-age story, and an intimate examination of small-town living. It is a compulsive story that examines relationships, between loves, between friends, between members of the family, and between members of the community. It was also an intimate story about what anchors us to a place and the menial comforts we derive from these places. There was a bleakness that hovered above the story but breaking through this darkness were hopeful and humorous passages.

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

Snippet from my Review: Hazel, Miriam, August, and Joan all demonstrated indomitable strength in the face of adversity. At its heart, the novel was about resilience and finding the voice to succeed in a world fraught with trauma and tragedy. The four women found strength from within. Following the untimely demise of her husband, Hazel worked hard and became Mount Zion Baptist Hospital’s first African-American nurse. Despite the odds, she was able to raise her two daughters while, at the same time, establishing stability in a period of racial strife. Miriam, on the other hand, was able to muster the courage to finally flee from North Carolina where she spent most of her married life. In running away from North Carolina, she was also getting away from the horrors that beset her.