"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 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future
Tags LGBTQ, Humor, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World
Lilac Girls is a historical fiction novel by Martha Hall Kelly. Published in 2016, Kelly’s debut novel is inspired by the true story of New York City activist and socialite Caroline Ferriday. Kelly was also inspired by the true story of the Ravensbrück Rabbits, a group of Polish women who were victims of torturous medical experiments during the Second World War. The novel explores the themes of hope, sacrifice, and forgiveness in the face of... Read Lilac Girls Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief / Death, American Civil War, Religion / Spirituality, History: U.S., Race / Racism, American Literature, History: World
The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary
Publication year 1871
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Jewish Literature
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Realistic Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Disability
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison is a personal memoir published in 2007. Like Temple Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism and Daniel Tammet’s Born on a Blue Day, Robison’s memoir is a personal account of living with autism spectrum disorder. A New York Times best-seller, the book has subsequently been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, and German.Look Me in the Eye details Robison’s life growing... Read Look Me In The Eye Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community
Tags Children's Literature, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Sports
Lost in the Sun by middle grade author Lisa Graff follows the story of Trent Zimmerman, who feels responsible for the accidental death of a hockey teammate. Trent grapples with issues of self-loathing, guilt, and rage as he begins his journey of healing through friendship. This 2015 middle grade novel is Graff’s eighth full-length children’s book and was chosen for Amazon’s 2015 Best Book list. Other works by Graff include A Tangle of Knots, Absolutely... Read Lost in the Sun Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
American author Louise Erdrich’s debut novel, Love Medicine, was first published in 1984 to critical acclaim. A bestseller and winner of the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the novel follows three generations of members from five Ojibwe families in Minnesota and North Dakota. Lyrical, metaphorical, and a complex exploration of oppression, joy, and family, the novel is both a record of history and an analysis of love. Blending the genres of historical... Read Love Medicine Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Romance, Education, Gender / Feminism, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 1604
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Jacobean Era, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy
Measure for Measure is a play written by William Shakespeare. It was first performed in 1604 and is considered one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” because of its ambiguous tone that shifts between tragedy and comedy. Shakespeare was a prolific poet and playwright during the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. While his earlier works were primarily comedies and histories, Measure for Measure was written during the period in which Shakespeare began to write many of his most... Read Measure For Measure Summary
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Romance
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992) is a self-help and personal development book by American author John Gray. The book is designed to help couples improve their relationships by accepting how different men and women are. Although the book was initially met with critical acclaim, it has lost popularity due to critiques about sexist content and the book’s worldview. Although this is Gray’s best-known work, Gray has published many similar books concerned... Read Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Summary
Publication year 1952
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Mere Christianity by Clive Staples Lewis (more commonly known as C. S. Lewis) was first published in 1952 as an expansion of some radio talks Lewis gave during World War II. Though Lewis is best known for his children’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia (particularly The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Mere Christianity is likely Lewis’s most famous work of Christian apologetics—a genre dedicated to addressing various critiques of Christian theology. Lewis was... Read Mere Christianity Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy