"Tge Village by the Sea" by Anita Desai

A great book (most likely for children) about a poor family of seven (including the dog Pinto) that lives in the village by the sea.

The mother is ill and the father is an alcoholic and their two eldest children Hari and Lina are the care takers of all. 

It's a painful but playful story about the struggles of the poor and the modernization of a village. The moral of the story could be not to loose hope and do all you can to overcome difficulties. Also adaptability, change and learning.