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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags American Literature, Psychological Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, September 11 Attacks, Modern Classic Fiction
Teju Cole’s first full-length novel, Open City was published in 2011 to widespread acclaim, winning the PEN/Hemingway Award, The New York City Book Award, and the Rosenthal Foundation Award. Open City made many lists of the best books of the year, including at the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR. Cole was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Nigerian parents and spent most of his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria before returning... Read Open City Summary
Publication year 1971
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Latin American Literature, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government
Open Veins of Latin America (1997) by Uruguayan journalist, writer, and poet Eduardo Galeano is a historical nonfiction book about the political and economic development of Latin America. The book celebrated its 25th year anniversary in 1997 by issuing a new edition; it features additional writing from Galeano reflecting on the book and the state of Latin American politics seven years after the book’s first release. This study guide refers to the 25th year anniversary... Read Open Veins of Latin America Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Relationships, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community
Tags Humor, Satire, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Race / Racism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Relationships
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Out Stealing Horses, by Norwegian author Per Petterson, was first published in 2003; the English-language translation by Anne Born was published in 2005. Told in the first person, the novel follows Trond Sander’s meditations on key events in his life and his acceptance of his advancing age and future death. Set in a remote forested area of eastern Norway, the novel moves back and forth in time between its present-tense setting in 1999 and Trond’s... Read Out Stealing Horses Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Fantasy
Pedro Paramo is a 1955 novel by Mexican author Juan Rulfo. In the novel, Juan Preciado returns to his mother’s hometown after her death to seek out his father. Rather than his father, he discovers a town populated by ghosts and traumatic memories. Pedro Paramo has been hailed as one of the most important novels of the 20th century and a vital foundation stone in the genre of magical realism. This guide uses the 2014... Read Pedro Paramo Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Romance, Humor, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Travel Literature
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, German Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a 1985 historical fiction novel by German author Patrick Suskind, originally published under the name Das Parfum. Patrick Suskind is an author and screenwriter who works primarily in the magical realism genre. He is best known for Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (published in English a year later in 1986), which is also his only full-length novel. He has published three novellas, a collection of short stories... Read Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1986
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Language, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Objects, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Food
Tags Lyric Poem, Ekphrastic, Free verse, Relationships, Immigration / Refugee, Arts / Culture, Confessional, Asian Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Immigration / Refugee