Memory

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 2023

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: U.S., Crime / Legal, September 11 Attacks, History: World, Biography, Politics / Government


Publication year 2006

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia

Tags Free verse, Southern Literature


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World


Publication year 1985

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams

Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Allegory / Fable / Parable, History: U.S., African American Literature, Race / Racism


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender

Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, French Literature, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture


Publication year 1999

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War

Tags Holocaust


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, French Literature, Military / War, History: World


Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Latin American Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret

Tags Psychology, Self Help, Relationships, Business / Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature

The Professor’s House by Willa Cather depicts the inner struggles of Godfrey St. Peter, a history professor struggling to understand his identity in middle age. Published in 1925, the novel moves from the fictional college town of Hamilton, Michigan, to the deserts of the American Southwest, where St. Peter’s most brilliant student, the late Tom Outland, had discovered the ruins of an ancient pueblo village. Haunted by the missed opportunities of the past, St. Peter... Read The Professor's House Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Depression / Suicide, Fantasy, Mental Illness

The Program is a 2014 young adult dystopian novel by Suzanne Young. Young is a novelist specializing in science fiction, thriller, and romance novels in the young adult genre. The novel takes place in a dystopian society where the government declares mental illness an epidemic. The Program follows seventeen-year-old Sloane Barstow, who struggles to reunite with her boyfriend James after a treatment clinic called The Program erases their memories in an attempt to “cure” their... Read The Program Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Marriage

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


Publication year 1845

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Narrative / Epic Poem, Classic Fiction, Animals, Grief / Death

Influenced by the English Romantic poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “Lord” George Gordon Byron, and Percy Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe represents one of the essential American Romantic poets of the nineteenth century. Romanticism here refers to a literary movement of the late 1700s and 1800s which focused on the emotional life of the individual and curiosity about the self. This movement complemented a larger geopolitical and ideological shift in the United States. As a young nation... Read The Raven Summary


Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Holocaust, German Literature, WWII / World War II, Military / War, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction

Introduction Law professor Bernhard Schlink published The Reader (Der Vorleser) in Germany in 1995. Two years later, an English version arrived in the United States, and it became a bestseller and a selection for Oprah's Book Club. The German newspaper Abendzeitung named the book Stern des Jahres (Star of the Year), and it was also awarded the 1998 Hans Fallada Prize, given to works that address social or political issues. Translated editions of The Reader... Read The Reader Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration

Tags History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Literary Fiction


Publication year 1923

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, American Literature


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Philosophy, Children's Literature, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction