"To err is human, to forgive divine," wrote poet Alexander Pope, suggesting that to forgive is sacred but also difficult—even impossible—for us mortals. This study guide collection gathers together texts with themes on the merits and challenges of forgiveness.
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, New Adult, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Originally published in 2002, Markus Zusak’s I Am the Messenger is a young adult realistic fiction novel. Ed Kennedy, the protagonist and narrator, is a 19-year-old cab driver whose average life takes an unexpected turn when he stops a bank robber. After this moment of heroism, he begins receiving mysterious playing cards with cryptic messages that lead him to people in need of his assistance. The novel is set in suburban Sydney and draws on... Read I Am The Messenger Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery
Tags Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction
Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much Is True centers on the illness of Thomas Birdsey, a middle-aged man who has had schizophrenia for the previous 20 years. Narrated by Thomas’s twin brother, Dominick, the novel opens with Thomas having left the group home where he lives and him cutting off his hand with a knife he took from his stepfather’s weapon collection. Thomas performs this action after reading a Bible verse that commands the reader... Read I Know This Much Is True Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Arts / Culture, Diversity, History: The Americas, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 1971
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Anthropology, Anthropology, Classic Fiction, Biography
Published in 1971, In the Shadow of Man is the third and most famous book by British primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. The work details Goodall’s groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park and her unlikely journey from being a secretary in the UK to heading a major chimpanzee study in East Africa and becoming one of the world’s foremost primatology experts. Functioning as both a memoir and a scientific exploration of chimp... Read In the Shadow of Man Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Jacob Have I Loved (1980) is the seventh book published by acclaimed American author Katherine Paterson. Set in the 1940s on a tiny crab-fishing island in the Chesapeake Bay, the coming-of-age novel tells the story of teenager Sara Louise Bradshaw as she navigates her contentious relationship with her twin sister, Caroline, and seeks identity and purpose in her village. The novel explores the theme of sibling rivalry and religious struggles. Jacob Have I Loved won... Read Jacob Have I Loved Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Lyric Poem, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Black Lives Matter, History: U.S., African American Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1992
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Addiction / Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction
Jesus’ Son (1992) is a collection of short fiction by American writer Denis Johnson, published by Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux. It explores themes of The Slipperiness of Time, Substance Use Disorder, and Violence as Inevitability. In the form of a short story cycle, each of the 11 stories of Jesus’ Son is narrated by the same protagonist, who has a substance use disorder and is referred to in the narrative as “Fuckhead”. The book takes... Read Jesus' Son Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2018
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race
Tags Social Justice, Crime / Legal, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: The Future, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Animals, Love / Sexuality, LGBTQ, History: World, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Military / War, Italian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Christian literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
Left Behind (1995) is the first book in the series of the same name. It was co-authored by Tim LaHaye, a minister and prophecy scholar, and Jerry B. Jenkins, an author of mystery novels, biographies, and Christian fiction. The series is a work of speculative Christian fiction based on biblical prophecies related to the so-called “end times.” Its plot opens with “the Rapture,” a cataclysmic event discussed in biblical prophecy in which Jesus returns to... Read Left Behind Summary