It seems every list of newly published novels includes at least one book based on a parent-child relationship. We’ve all been children and most of us have been parents so we understand the inherent life drama (and, often, comedy) of this complex relationship. It’s ripe for the picking and telling.

Finding great books about grandparent/grandchild relationships is harder, at least for adult readers (although they abound in children’s literature). There’s no good reason for the dearth of novels exploring these formative relationships. You’ll see how good they can be if you check these fine examples:

Marvel and a Wonder – Joe Meno
Northern Borders – Howard Frank Mosher
The Summer Book – Tove Johansson
Bird – Crystal Chan
The Blue Mountain – Meir Shalev
Imaginings of Sand – André Brink