The holidays and winter season are often emphasized as times for cold weather and family, inviting us to gather close whether it be at a dinner table or among the pages of a cozy story. Found family stories explore characters who forge families of their own, finding warmth even in the coldest places. These eight books celebrate the magic of unexpected connections and the hope that love can find us anywhere!
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
When tragedy strikes in the midst of winter, fate brings together several strangers to an abandoned estate near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan. At the center of this phenomenon is Elfrida Phipps, a former actress who is seeking a new life after a personal loss. From a heartbroken young woman, a widowed man, to a quiet teenage girl, this diverse group unexpectedly finds companionship within each other.
As Christmas approaches, the neglected estate they now share is full of light, laughter, and redemption. With Rosamund Pilcher’s gentle storytelling, this book is perfect for those who crave a timeless tale of new beginnings and community!
Red Bird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
This book follows Oswald T. Campbell, who leaves Chicago upon receiving a shocking medical diagnosis. He decides to move to Lost River, a small town in the southernmost part of Alabama. There, he is welcomed by a group of kind and energetic locals, including a little redbird named Jack, who ends up bringing the entire town together. With the charming small town flair and friendship, this story reminds us that sometimes the family that saves you isn’t exclusive to the one you were born into; it’s the one that will always welcome you home with open arms.
The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman
This heartfelt story follows Hannah and Finn, who have spent every Christmas together since they entered college partly because they have nowhere else to go. Every Christmas, they create their own quirky holiday traditions, full of energetic karaoke sessions and silly inside jokes. Their group grows with the addition of Priya and Theo, together forming the “Orphans Club” in the heart of New York City. But when life comes in full swing and pulls them in different directions, it begins to threaten the very bond of the group, forcing them all to face what their chosen family means.
Spellbound Solstice by Alexandria Rogers
Determined to reunite her separated parents, thirteen-year-old Alice Ambrose decides to use her family’s cottage during the Winter Solstice festival to her advantage. But when her parents lock eyes with each other and nothing happens, she learns that the women in her family are cursed to never fall in love. Meanwhile, Ronan Knight decides to help Alice as it may be the way to secure his family’s future.
As they journey together to break the curse, they encounter past ghosts and endanger the entire town’s ability to love. Upon each trial passed, they learn that happy endings look different for everyone and that the family you choose is equally important to the family you’re born into.
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
This story follows Truman Belvedere, a man who discovers that his long-term boyfriend led a double life, and Greta Russakoff, who, despite the love she has for her close family back in Maine, acknowledges the fact that she needs space to figure out who she truly is and what she wants. Their wishes to escape come true when their mutual friend proposes they swap homes for the holidays. While at each other’s homes, they gain more than just a change in scenery; they discover unexpected love and an entirely new type of family.
Christmas with the Elf King by Lenore Stutznegger
Noelle Baker is a human who simply wishes to spend Christmas baking her favorite sweets with her family. That quickly dissolves as soon as she is chosen by the Elf King, taken away to the whimsical lands of Ravensong as part of an ancient contract. Now separated from her family during the holiday season, she finds herself surrounded by elves who go from strangers to friends who teach her magic, share traditions, and stand alongside her as she plans to confront the curse that plagues the Elf King and the land.
Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
This book focuses on the week-long quarantine of the Birch family after their daughter returns from treating an epidemic abroad. What starts as an awkward and suffocating Christmas lockdown quickly becomes chaotic with the unraveling of buried secrets, grudges, and broken promises. As each family member’s struggles get revealed, the proximity leads to an unexpected reshaping of their family bond. Through various emotional confrontations, the Birches begin to mend the tears in their relationships and come out stronger than before!
Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester
On Martin and Isabel’s wedding day, which also falls on Día de los Muertos, the boundary between the living and the dead almost dissolves. Each year on this holiday, she is visited by the spirit of her estranged father-in-law, Omar, who seeks forgiveness in hopes of reuniting the family. Upon each visit, Isabel learns more about Martin’s family history and unravels the truth of Omar’s disappearance. Through ritual, empathy, and remembrance, this novel shows how both chosen and relational bonds can build a resilient family.
Not everyone’s holiday traditions look the same, but these books celebrate that truth! They invite us to look inward and really think about who and what makes our lives meaningful. They capture the spirit of the holidays and connection, reminding us that family cannot be defined in only one way.
If you’re looking for found family books focused on sisterhood, click here.
For books that lean into deep friendships and found family, check out our Bookshop bookshelf, Friendship is a Bond of Life: Besties Whose Friendships are Iconic.
