The nuclear family has a bad literary rap. As we know from fiction and memoir, the traditional two-heterosexual-parents-and-biological-kids model, a structure that provides stability and nourishment for some, can also be a stricture, a disappointment, even a crucible of cruelty. The opening sentence of Anna Karenina notwithstanding, unhappiness is unhappiness; there are common experiences for the survivors of family difficulty, even when specifics differ.

Family: Stories of belonging collects short pieces by nineteen Australian writers about their experiences of family. Alaina Gougoulis and Ian See have marshalled writers not just with diverse backgrounds but also with diverse stories to tell. The editors apprehend that experience is not in itself enough when seeking work of literary rather than therapeutic value, heeding V.S. Pritchett’s warning: ‘It’s all in the art. You get no credit for living.’

What do we want as readers from a collection like this? Insight into lives that are not our own, writing that sings or stings, perhaps the self-improvement of an emotional weights session to build our empathy muscles. Family delivers on all counts. It has been curated with care and flair. Some pieces capture the miseries of growing up in dysfunctional nuclear families, while others explore extended models of what families can be. A dominant theme is yearning for family – or perhaps, more exactly, a longing for connection and safety, and to be understood.