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 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief / Death, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Tinkers (2009) is Paul Harding’s debut novel. It delves into the life of a dying man, George Washington Crosby, as he reflects on his past and his family history. The narrative weaves together George’s memories with stories from his father’s life, and it explores the themes of mortality, memory, and the interconnectedness of generations. The novel, which is considered literary fiction, won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2010 PEN/ Robert W. Bingham... Read Tinkers Summary
Publication year 1896
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Grief / Death
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place
Tags Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1849
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1922
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Science / Nature
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Animals, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1927
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Modernism, British Literature, The Bloomsbury Group, Arts / Culture, Education, Education, History: World
Virginia Woolf’s Modernist classic To the Lighthouse was published in May 1927 by Hogarth Press, the publishing house founded by Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf in 1917. The Modern Library placed To the Lighthouse on its list of the 20th century’s best English-language novels. The three-part novel, which is written entirely in Woolf’s own stream-of-consciousness literary style, marks To the Lighthouse as a seminal work of Modernism. Woolf herself described To the Lighthouse... Read To the Lighthouse Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Objects, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1962
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Language, Society: Community
Tags Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, American Literature, Animals, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Classic Fiction, Biography
Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck. The book follows a cross-country road trip the author took with his dog, a brown poodle named Charley. They travel in a camper-style pickup truck named Rosinante, which Steinbeck had custom built for the trip. Steinbeck embarked on the journey because he felt disconnected from the larger picture of American life after years of living in New York... Read Travels With Charley Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Great Depression, Animals, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Turtle in Paradise is a 2010 historical fiction children’s novel by Jennifer L. Holm. Set in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression, the novel follows an 11-year-old girl’s struggles and successes as she visits her aunt and cousins in the town where her mother grew up. The novel won the Golden Kite Award and is a Newbery Honor Book as well as a Junior Library Guild selection. Other works by this author include The... Read Turtle in Paradise Summary
Publication year 1989
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is a short story from the collection The Joy Luck Club, which was originally published in 1989. The full short story collection was adapted for film as the eponymous Joy Luck Club in 1993. Amy Tan and Ronald Bass adapted the screenplay. The series portrays first and second-generation Chinese immigrants living out the “American dream” in current day Chinatown, San Francisco. Through a series of 16 linked stories, four women... Read Two Kinds Summary
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Ubik is a science-fiction novel published in 1969 by the American writer Philip K. Dick. Set in 1992, the book exists in a future in which telepathy has emerged as a common tool for corporate espionage. Moreover, technology exists that allows the recently deceased to be suspended for long periods of time in a state of hibernation known as “half-life.” Among other accolades, Time magazine selected Ubik as one of the 100 greatest novels published... Read Ubik Summary
Publication year 1954
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Play: Drama, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Animals, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1973
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government
Publication year 1963
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags American Literature, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Satire, Addiction / Substance Abuse, History: European, History: U.S., Military / War, Crime / Legal, Post Modernism, Post-War Era
... Read V. Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Vanishing Acts is a 2005 domestic and psychological novel by Jodi Picoult. The story follows Delia Hopkins as she struggles to deal with the aftermath of her father’s arrest and trial for kidnapping her 28 years prior. The story cycles through multiple narrators who all share their story in first person, both in the present and through flashbacks. The story examines memory, the effect of lies, internal family struggles, and determining self-identity.This guide refers to... Read Vanishing Acts Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor
Publication year 1972
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Great Depression, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“Walker Brothers Cowboy” by Alice Munro is a short story set during the Great Depression. The story uses the themes of The Disillusionment of Fading Childhood, The Bittersweet Effects of Nostalgia, and Finding Solace in Companionship to implicitly explore larger issues of poverty and social class. The story was published in Munro’s debut collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, in 1968. The stories in this collection are set in and around a variety of fictional... Read Walker Brothers Cowboy Summary