Grief

"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 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage

Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Western, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Christian literature, Inspirational, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

The Shack is a novel by Canadian author William P. Young and his first published work. Young is the son of Christian missionaries who worked in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and he grew up alternately amid the Dani ethnic group and in missionary boarding schools before the family moved back to Canada. Having settled in the United States as an adult, Young began writing stories for his children and friends. The earliest version... Read The Shack Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Family

Tags Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Depression / Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Christian literature, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris is a psychological thriller and crime novel published in 1988. The novel follows FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling as she becomes increasingly involved in the investigation of serial killer Buffalo Bill. The book is the sequel to Harris’s 1981 novel Red Dragon and includes several continuing characters, like the serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The novel won the 1988 Bram Stoker Award and 1989 Anthony Award for Best... Read The Silence Of The Lambs Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1774

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery

Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period, German Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Romance

The Sorrows of Young Werther (in German, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers), written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a semi-autobiographical epistolary novel published in 1774. The story unfolds through a series of letters penned by the eponymous protagonist, Werther, and mainly chronicles his experiences in the small town of Wahlheim. Werther, a sensitive and idealistic young man, arrives in the town and becomes enamored with Lotte, a local magistrate’s daughter. His unrequited love becomes... Read The Sorrows of Young Werther Summary


Publication year 1903

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags History: U.S., Existentialism, African American Literature, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Published in 1903, W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Souls of Black Folk is an important contribution to African-American literature, American literature, and sociology. A collection of 14 essays, the work is Du Bois’s description of the state of the South and African Americans’ lives at the turn of the 20th century. This guide is based on the Amazon Classics Kindle book edition.In “Of Our Spiritual Strivings,” Du Bois describes the psychological struggles of African Americans as... Read The Souls of Black Folk Summary


Publication year 1587

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags British Literature, Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, Elizabethan Era

The Spanish Tragedy, written and performed between 1587 and 1590, is an Elizabethan revenge tragedy by Thomas Kyd. The play explores the dilemmas of Hieronimo, who plots for revenge after his son Horatio is murdered. Surrounded by the intrigue and deception of the Spanish court, Hieronimo’s quest raises questions about the nature of justice and the profound impacts of grief and loss. The Spanish Tragedy was a huge hit for Kyd’s audiences, performed at least 29... Read The Spanish Tragedy Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature

Donal Ryan’s debut novel, The Spinning Heart, was published in 2012 and chronicles the effects of a declining economy on a small Irish village. When the economy was booming, Pokey Burke headed a lucrative construction crew—the main source of jobs and revenue for many people in the village. However, once the economy plummets, Pokey disappears, taking with him the pensions of his crew and leaving most of the housing projects unfinished. Many of the men... Read The Spinning Heart Summary


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends... Read The Story of Arthur Truluv Summary


Publication year 1955

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Creative Nonfiction, Action / Adventure

Gabriel García Márquez’s The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor was first published in Spain in 1970 under the title Relato de un naufrago (“story of a castaway”). The nonfiction work relates Luis Alejandro Velasco’s 10-day survival adrift on a raft in the Caribbean after being thrown overboard from his Colombian destroyer in rough seas. While there had been a censored, government-backed version of Velasco’s story that was publicized, the uncensored story was first published in... Read The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor Summary


Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging

Tags Grief / Death, Scandinavian Literature, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness