In George Orwell's 1984 a character says, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." The past may be behind us, but its events—and how we remember them—have a profound effect on the present. In this collection explore texts that examine the complications and complexities of the past.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, American Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
The Remains of the Day is a novel by British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Released in 1989, the novel tells the story of Stevens, who once worked as a butler at a stately home in England. In his old age, he returns to the house and reminisces about his experiences in the 1920-1930s. Most of the novel is told in flashback. The novel was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film of the same name, released in 1993... Read The Remains of the Day Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Camron Wright’s The Rent Collector, originally published in 1990, tells the story of Sang Ly, a 29-year-old Cambodian woman who lives at the edge of Cambodia’s infamous dump, Stung Meanchey, with her husband, Ki Lim, and her 16-month-old son, Nisay. The fiction novel addresses such themes as the power of story, the influence of the past, the importance of education, and the balance of good and evil.Sang and Ki work as pickers in the dump... Read The Rent Collector Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Education, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: War, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Nation, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Class
In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary
Publication year 1850
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Allegory / Fable / Parable, American Literature, Colonial America, Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction
The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 novel by writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. The work, Hawthorne’s first full-length novel, is a classic of the American Romantic era. More specifically, its treatment of topics like sin, insanity, and the occult make it a work of Dark Romanticism—a movement related to the Gothic genre that includes works by Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville. The Scarlet Letter is also a piece of historical fiction; it is set in the... Read The Scarlet Letter Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture, Middle Eastern Literature, Realistic Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Incarceration, History: Middle Eastern, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government, Jewish Literature
The Septembers of Shiraz (2007), a novel by Iranian writer Dalia Sofer, recounts the experiences of the Amins, an Iranian Jewish family, during the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s. The book is closely based on Sofer’s family history: When Sofer was 10, her family fled Iran, crossing the border to Turkey with the help of smugglers. The Septembers of Shiraz depicts the changing atmosphere and events that characterize the treatment of the wealthy class... Read The Septembers Of Shiraz Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, History: World, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year -1
Genre Scripture, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, History: Middle Eastern
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1942
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: War, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Play: Drama, Allegory / Fable / Parable, WWII / World War II, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Thornton Wilder’s dramatic masterpiece, The Skin of Our Teeth, opened on Broadway in November of 1942, less than a year after the United States entered World War II. On the heels of the Great Depression (1929-1939), the war meant more sacrifice and hardship for the average American family, and another era of fear, loss, and anxiety about the future of humanity. The play is a satirical allegory for the human race’s seemingly indomitable will to... Read The Skin of Our Teeth Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: African , Age of Enlightenment
The Slave Ship: A Human History is a 2007 book by Marcus Rediker that describes what happened aboard the ships carrying enslaved people from Africa to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. Rediker focuses his history on the slave ship itself as well as those onboard. The book won numerous awards, including the 2008 George Washington Book Prize and the 2008 Merle Curti Award. Critics praise it for shedding light on a little-explored facet of... Read The Slave Ship Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Western, History: U.S., History: World
Publication year 1855
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, American Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Agriculture, History: U.S., Science / Nature
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Biography
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels is a nonfiction book published in 2018 by American journalist, historian, and presidential biographer Jon Meacham. The book explores periods of US history during which the politics of fear battled against the politics of hope. The author largely threads his narrative around issues of racial justice and anti-immigrant nativism, from the Reconstruction era in the postbellum South, to the civil rights era of the mid-20th... Read The Soul of America Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Language
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy