"The art of losing isn't hard to master," wrote poet Elizabeth Bishop. Perhaps she meant that we will all face loss at some point in our lives. In this collection, we have brought together texts that take up the universal experience of grief.
Publication year 1738
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Satire, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Age of Enlightenment, Neoclassical, British Literature, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor
Publication year 1638
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Pastoralism, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, British Literature
Maisie Dobbs is the first installment in Jacqueline Winspear’s historical mysteries featuring the eponymous private detective. Winspear was born and grew up in England with a grandfather who was a World War I veteran. His experiences inform some of the background of Maisie Dobbs. Several installments of the series have been New York Times bestsellers or finalists for Agatha or Macavity Awards, which signal achievements in the mystery genre. This guide refers to the Kindle... Read Maisie Dobbs Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family
Tags Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Education, Relationships, American Literature, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1934
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Mary Poppins (1934) is a well-known novel written by P.L. Travers to which there are five sequels. Because the title character is a nanny with magical powers, many readers assume the novel is work of fantasy written for children; in fact, Travers intended Mary Poppins for adult readers, as the novel’s heroine is unexpectedly complex. Mary Poppins herself is often maliciously caustic; throughout the narrative, Travers mocks the class-conscious norms of Edwardian Britain against a... Read Mary Poppins Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, African American Literature, American Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Southern Literature
Message in a Bottle (1998) is the second novel by Nicholas Sparks, the follow-up to his incredibly popular romance, The Notebook. It was inspired by Sparks’s father’s experience after the sudden and unexpected death of Sparks’s mother. They’d been married for 27 years when an accident on a horse led her to develop a cerebral hemorrhage. It was a fluke, a random accident, just like the one that claims Catherine’s life and that of her... Read Message In A Bottle Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
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
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Children's Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1966
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Irish Literature
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature
Miracle’s Boys (2000) is a young adult novel by Jaqueline Woodson. The novel tells the story of three brothers, ages 21, 15, and 12, coping with the sudden death of their mother a year before. The middle brother, Charlie, recently returned home from a juvenile detention facility, where he was serving a two-year sentence for attempting to rob a candy store at gun point. Set in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York City, Miracle’s... Read Miracle's Boys Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Disability
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Disability, Bullying, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Diversity, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Canadian author Eden Robinson’s novel Monkey Beach (2000) is set in the village of Kitamaat in British Columbia, Canada. Kitamaat is the primary community of the Haisla nation, one of the Indigenous Canadian groups known as the First Nations. Monkey Beach tells the story of teenager Lisa Hill, whose brother Jimmy has mysteriously disappeared. In the aftermath of his disappearance, Lisa reflects on memories of her youth. The novel combines elements of mystery and the... Read Monkey Beach Summary