Answers to Go
SAN MARCOS PUBLIC LIBRARY 625 E. HOPKINS ST. 512-393-8200
Q. I like stories that focus on women and family dynamics. I’ve been told this is called domestic fiction. Can you explain that term more in-depth, as well as recommend some book titles?
A. Domestic fiction, also sometimes called women’s fiction or sentimental fiction, first became popular in in the mid-19th century. According to Encyclopedia.com, “This literature focuses on the daily domestic lives of young, mostly middleclass white girls as they grow into womanhood. The plots of domestic fiction deliver didactic life lessons that members of the dominant culture considered useful in preparing nineteenthcentury female readers for their lives as adult women.” One of the first domestic fiction novels was Catharine Sedgwick's New England Tale, published in 1822.
Domestic fiction has since changed to adapt to modern times. According to NoveList Plus (a reader’s advisory database the library subscribes to), “[Domestic fiction] is best described as stories that focus on family dynamics … The relationships between family members — whether two or ten —are the central theme of any domestic fiction novel. Many of the issues addressed — for example, infidelity, nontraditional families, or family secrets —are intense, complex, and involve life-changing consequences. The effects of the decisions are typically realistic, and the characters don't necessarily get a happily-ever-after resolution.”
If you’re interested in reading domestic fiction, try A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. This novel takes us across three generations of the Whitshanks, their shared stories and long-held secrets, all the unguarded and richly lived moments that combine to define who and what they are as a family. Like a spool of thread, one generation interweaves with another, as issues of class, race, age, and gender are dealt with. The dysfunction arises in both the marital and parental decisions made by the main characters.
Another popular title is An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are settling into the routine of their life together when Roy is sent to prison for a crime he didn't commit. When his sentence is vacated, the pair struggles to reconcile the choices each has made. This book is not just a story of interpersonal drama, but also a discussion of racism and an indictment of the American prison system.
Another book you might enjoy is Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. This upbeat novel is a combination of comingof-age and domestic fiction as it illustrates how three families deal with their young adult children. Using Brooklyn as a backdrop, various domestic issues occur between the parents as they attempt to navigate their own relationships and the relationships of their offspring.
Or check out any of Elin Hilderbrand's novels, which mainly deal with family and community—particularly in her summer series titles. Families with various issues all come together on the island of Nantucket, where the warm heat of summer creates the time and space needed to heal each dysfunction as it arises.
For more book recommendations, call or email the library at 512-393-8200 or smpl@ sanmarcostx.gov.
