September Sampler: It's All Relative: Words for National Family Day, September 28

"Yes, you’ll be happy to know that a farmer in the next village wants to adopt her. He and his wife haven’t been able to have children." A Wish in the Dark

“But wait a second—why didn’t your uncle or one of those other ancestors dig up the treasure if they all knew where it was hidden?” The Smartest Kid in the Universe

In Korea, the family name came first and told the entire history of your ancestry. The Sun Is Also a Star

Despite their quarrels, there was a deep bond between her father and the brother he had once disowned. A Clash of Kings

It all began at nine in the morning on a day in late July, when my grandmother showed up with Joey Pow and his brand-new long-lost cousin Zed. Lawn Boy Returns

Despite the differences in age and gender, the familial resemblance was absolutely striking. I Can Make This Promise

But it was tradition for the family to build the sukkah out in the field, and Anya was going to follow tradition. Anya and the Nightingale

No virtue in Korea is esteemed more than filial devotion.
– Empires and Emperors of Russia, China, Korea, and Japan

If you don’t have parents you have to call your grandparents or your foster parents or some relative or family friend. We Were Here

He was an encyclopedia when it came to Xhosa genealogy and told me facts about my father that I had never known. Long Walk to Freedom

“Experts agree children need to be close to their grandparents. It makes them feel secure, and when they grow up feeling loved they make better parents themselves.” Summer of the Mariposas

There’s me split in half—Japanese and white—stitching myself together again because I am whole only when I’ve embraced the true beauty of my heritage. Starfish

It was the woman with whom he had lived who had told her, for Frank had given this woman’s name as his next of kin. Go Tell It on the Mountain

All the village were kinsmen, and the titles shouted in loud country voices never let kinship be forgotten. The Woman Warrior

They would leave the questions of lineage, clan, and family name to the people in the village, to someone like Auntie who had to know everything about anyone. Ceremony:

Two weeks after the market, Tommy Forester proposed marriage to Bridget Comfrey, and she accepted. Stardust

“Dear fellows! It does my heart good to see them forget business and frolic for a day,” answered Jo, who now spoke in a maternal way of all mankind. Little Women

She had no money for maternity care and diapers, so she continued working until the baby was born. Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography

Grandma had raised four daughters and four sons, and she was a true matriarch: Her husband had died after my mom got married, and she cared for the family on her own. How Dare the Sun Rise

“We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony.” Krik? Krak!

Herb was relieved to see his niece and nephew this morning, and glad they were okay—but he worries about his sister and brother-in-law. Dry

AMOS: I know I don’t have a niece because I never had any brothers and sisters. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

For some eagle pairs, that same nest might be used twenty times or more to lay, hatch, and nurture their offspring. A Bird Will Soar

He felt paternal toward her and thought Bobby might be interested in meeting her, so he gave her Fischer’s address in Los Angeles and suggested she write to him and send him her photograph. Endgame

Bobby had refused to append his name, implying his own doubt as to the girl’s paternity. Endgame

If there's one person in our family who deserves the credit for the close-knit relationships between us cousins, it's Dayee Mehrdad, otherwise known as the true patriarch of our massive brood. Americanized

Each day you crowd this house like wolves to eat away my brave son’s patrimony. The Odyssey

All are but recognitions of the same common fact that offspring exhibit various characteristics similar to those of their progenitors. Guyer, Michael F.

Cook began to talk about the kinds of quality people who had lived in Daffodil Manor over the years, all the many Carutherses plus their cousins and distant relations. Ophie's Ghosts

She was safe at the farm with my younger brother and sister, while my older siblings were scattered over Poland. The Light in Hidden Places

Long ago, Grandma and Grandpa Larsen had specified that when they died, all their children and their spouses were to use an allocated sum of money to go on a Scandinavian cruise. Fablehaven

The funeral was arranged to reflect the family’s Osage and Catholic traditions. Killers of the Flower Moon

Ancient farmers might seem to us dirt poor, but a typical family possessed more artefacts than an entire forager tribe. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

I always had trouble telling his sisters apart, because they were triplets and they looked alike. Absolutely Almost

I couldn’t stop wondering about who my biological parents were, what tribe they were from, or why I was adopted in the first place. I Can Make This Promise