In this collection we've gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that address humanity's age-old search for meaning and purpose within a higher power.
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family
Tags Christian literature, Self Help, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Animals, Arts / Culture, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World, Action / Adventure
Boy of the Painted Cave is a 1996 middle-grade historical fiction novel by Justin Denzel set 18,000 years ago in prehistoric France. The novel is told in the limited third-person point of view and follows Tao, a 14-year-old boy with a disability, who longs to be a cave painter for his clan. Tao has difficulty walking with his right foot, and he compensates for this by using a spear as a crutch. The crutch allows... Read Boy of the Painted Cave Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Written in 2013, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants is a nonfiction book by Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The work examines modern botany and environmentalism through the lens of the traditions and cultures of the Indigenous peoples of North America. Through a series of personal reflections, the author explores the connection between living things and human efforts to cultivate a more sustainable... Read Braiding Sweetgrass Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Self Help, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Religion / Spirituality
Published in 2017, Brené Brown’s Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone presents insights and strategies for finding what Brown refers to as true belonging in a time of increasing cultural polarization in America. Based on Brown’s grounded theory research, true belonging is a practice that involves believing in and belonging to oneself so fully that one can share one’s innermost, authentic self with the rest of the... Read Braving the Wilderness Summary
Publication year 1925
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Jewish Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Bread Givers is a 1925 novel by Anzia Yezierska. As a Jewish-American who emigrated to America from Poland, Yezierska uses her life experience growing up in New York as a basis for the novel. The novel follows Sara Smolinsky, a Jewish-American girl, as she grows up in New York in the 1920s with her sisters. Sara pushes the bounds of her father Reb Smolinsky’s patriarchal belief system as she pursues an education and career. The... Read Bread Givers Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: New Age
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Travel Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy
Publication year 2012
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: New Age
Tags Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Health / Medicine, Philosophy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1984
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Great Depression, WWII / World War II, Poverty, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Brighton Beach Memoirs is a semi-autobiographical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It is the first play in Simon’s Eugene Trilogy and follows its young protagonist as he grapples with adolescence and identity in the midst of the Great Depression. Its initial 1983 Broadway run enjoyed critical acclaim and won several awards. Most notably, actor Matthew Broderick won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for originating the role of Eugene. Despite its initial success... Read Brighton Beach Memoirs Summary
Publication year 1973
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism
Tags Christian literature, History: World, Biography, Religion / Spirituality
Bruchko is a 1978 memoir by American author Bruce Olson about his time working as a Christian missionary in Venezuela and Colombia with an Indigenous tribe, the Barí. Olson depicts his missionary work as based on a divine mission that followed a spiritual experience he had as a youth. At 19, he moved from the United States to South America, where he went to the jungles in the Colombian-Venezuelan border to convert the infamously violent... Read Bruchko Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Bruiser by Neal Shusterman, first published in 2010, is a young adult novel. It explores the life of Brewster “Bruiser” Rawlins, a high school student who has the ability to take pain away from those he cares about. Through his supernatural ability, the novel explores themes of Finding Emotional Balance, The Complications of Empathy, and The Dangers of Excessive Dependence on Others. Shusterman is the author of dozens of young adult novels, short stories, and works... Read Bruiser Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Self Help, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Colonial America, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Caleb’s Crossing (2011) is a historical fiction novel based on the real life figure of Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard University in 1665. Born into the Wampanoag tribe on an island near Cape Cod, the historical Cheeshahteaumuck converted to Christianity and attended a preparatory school before enrolling in Harvard. In her novel, Pulitzer Prize winning author Geraldine Brooks tells a fictionalized version of Caleb’s story in the form of a... Read Caleb's Crossing Summary
Publication year 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Education, Animals, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Stephen King’s Carrie is a supernatural horror novel originally published in 1974—the fourth novel King wrote but the first he published. The work became a bestseller upon the release of its paperback edition, setting King’s career in motion, and continues to be highly regarded. In the 1990s schools frequently banned it for its violent content, depictions of sexuality, and portrayal of fundamentalist Christianity. Carrie has been adapted several times, most notably as a 1976 film... Read Carrie Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Arts / Culture, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Gender / Feminism, History: European, British Literature, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Children's Literature, History: World, Humor
American author Karen Cushman’s middle grade novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, explores the life of a young woman in 13th-century England. Published in 1994, the book won the Newbery Honor the following year. It is currently being adapted for the screen by actor, writer, and director Lena Dunham. This detailed work of historical fiction immerses the reader in the very different world of medieval England, with its emphasis on religion as the organizing force behind daily... Read Catherine, Called Birdy Summary
Publication year 1978
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Society: Community
Tags Theology, Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender
Tags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Religion / Spirituality