To mark National Adoption Week, we’ve curated a collection of fiction on the subject of adoption. From all-time childhood classics, to stirring family sagas, to contemporary takes on the topic’s complexities, these novels are nothing but diverse in style, genre and approach.

If you’re in the market for a comforting, comic, life-affirming saga that truly transcends age boundaries, Anne of Green Gables is a heart-stealing classic that see a free-spirited orphan find a place to call home after being bounced from orphanage to orphanage. Experiencing Anne’s life journey across the whole series is an immersive joy.

Then there’s orphan Heidi’s journey from an austere upbringing in the city, to finding happiness with her mountain-dwelling granddad and new friends. Meanwhile, magic-infused The Secret Garden shows the transformative possibilities of establishing a surrogate family.

Mention must be made of Jane Eyre, which explores an orphan’s incomparable struggle to assert and hold onto her identity. Community, identity and finding a sense of belonging is also central to Barbara Kingsolver’s beautifully-written The Bean Tree, while The Name She Gave Me is a heartbreakingly beautiful YA novel-in-verse about adoption, family, friendship, and love in many forms.

And now for something entirely different….Inspired by The Jungle Book, Neil Gaiman’s multi-award-winning The Graveyard Book might not be the first book that comes to mind on this topic, but Bod, its unforgettable main character, finds new protective guardians in the graveyard after being orphaned, much like Mowgli does in the jungle. 

Finally, for a heart-warming (and humorous) contemporary read, try Hope Nicely’s Lessons for Life, with more recommended reads suggested below.