Iconic literary families that we can’t get enough of

Thousands of readers around the world have fallen in love with kind and thoughtful Marmee and her four courageous and ingenious daughters: Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. As they navigate their way from childhood to adulthood, the sisters come up against a number of heartbreaking adversities, which they must overcome together. The March women capture our hearts because they act like a real family – despite their fights and disagreements,  their love for one another will always be more important.

We were first captivated by Jessie Burton's Brandt family in her 2015 novel The Miniaturist, when Nella Oortman joined the illustrious but secretive Brandt family. Now they're back, twenty years on, in The House of Fortune. An unorthodox family to be sure, but try not to be won over by the strong and determined young women at its very heart.

Longlisted this year for the Women's Prize for Fiction, The Exhibitionist tells the story of the eclectic Hanrahan family who are guaranteed to go down in the history books of iconic literary families. This is one family you probably won't want to be a part of, because the Hanrahans are chaotic and dysfunctional in every way. Exploring the toxic relationships and peeling back the secrets hidden within this family makes for addictive reading.

Just as important to the plot of Pride and Prejudice as the brooding romantic hero Mr Darcy, are the members of the Bennet family. The Bennets all have their own distinct personalities and you’re bound to have a soft spot for one of them, whether it’s Mrs Bennet, a conniving matchmaker prone to fits of hysteria, or saucy Lydia, who loves nothing more than flirting with the local soldiers.

The story of the charming and troubled Cazalet family is told over the course of several generations in Elizabeth Jane Howard's much-adored Cazalet Chronicles, starting with The Light Years. The Cazalets are a fairly wealthy Sussex family whose way of life, dependent on servants and traditions, is gradually changing. With each book, the family witnesses births, deaths and children coming of age and our relationship with each character evolves along with them.

Hanya Yanagihara's powerful and heartbreaking novel A Little Life is centred around the brilliant but withdrawn Jude who has suffered deep trauma in his life. But, he is able to find acceptance with his chosen family – his close friends Willem, JB and Malcolm, and an older couple who become like parents to him, Harold and Julia. This book acknowledges and shines a light on the incredible bonds created between people who intentionally choose to love and support each other, creating their own version of a family. 

We couldn't not include the deeply flawed Melrose family in this list. The semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels tell the story of the eponymous Patrick who we follow throughout his life. From a dark and disturbing childhood, to years of drug and alcohol addiction, and finally to life as a husband and father. Although these novels make for tough reading at times, it is the quality of the writing – at times searingly funny but always deeply humane – that has us returning to this broken family again and again.

This story has not just one, but two families for you to become obsessed with. The Pickles and the Lambs could not be more different, so when they're thrown together to live under one roof, tensions run high. But over time, they learn to live together and their home becomes one of life and love. This heartfelt novel is truly a celebration of the human spirit and the extraordinary love that can be found within a family. 

Prepare to be impressed by the strength and endurance of the Baek family in the sweeping epic Pachinko. Following the family through eight decades and four generations, with matriarch Sunja as the main protagonist, this is an incredible story of identity, love and survival. 

Through several generations, we closely follow Maame’s descendants and intimately witness how the slave trade tore families apart and made an impact that is still felt in the present day. Each of the characters are vividly depicted and it seems like a spin-off novel could be written about any one of them.