In many ways, who we are is shaped by what we remember, yet our recollections aren't always a reliable account of the past. This collection gathers texts that explore the ideas, theories, and challenges conjured by memory.
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Animals
Publication year 1891
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Business / Economics
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
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 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Military / War, Education, Education, History: World
Imagining Argentina (1987) is a fantasy novel by American author Lawrence Thornton. Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s Dirty War, Imagining Argentina centers Carlos Rueda, a Buenos Aires native whose supernatural abilities grant him insight into the fates of Argentina’s disappeared. The novel’s complicated consideration of power, memory, and authoritarianism has been critically acclaimed, earning a nomination for the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction. Thornton would later expand the story into two succeeding novels, Naming the... Read Imagining Argentina Summary
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Military / War, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1939
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1807
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery
Tags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction
The novel Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead was originally published in 2018 by Arsenal Pulp Press. Whitehead, a queer Indigenous writer from Peguis Frist Nation, uses the auto-fictional character of Jonny to explore the intersections of LGBTQ+ and Indigenous identity. The novel was a 2021 Canada Reads Winner and the winner of a Lambda Literary Award. It was also a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize.This... Read Jonny Appleseed Summary
Publication year 1956
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Magical Realism, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
Hermann Hesse's 1932 short novel The Journey to the East reads much like a trial run for what would be his final novel, The Glass Bead Game, published in 1943. Journey explores themes of service, leadership, the contemplative life, and the difficult tasks historians face—set against the backdrop of a mystic journey whose destination becomes increasingly unclear. The narrator is a man known only as H.H. It is believed that H.H. stands for “Hermann Hesse”... Read Journey to the East Summary
Publication year 1981
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Military / War, African Literature
July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Asian Literature, Japanese Literature, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
A coming-of-age story that raises many questions about concepts such as good and evil, reality, time, and memory, Kafka on the Shore describes the journey of a fifteen year-old run-away, Kafka Tamura, from his home in Tokyo to the shores of Takamatsu. Kafka flees home because his father, a famous—but violent—sculptor, cursed him: he will kill his father and sleep with his mother and sister. Kafka’s mother fled with his older sister when Kafka was... Read Kafka on the Shore Summary
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