The Past

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 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Disability, Grief / Death, Class


Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past

Tags Southern Gothic, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, Southern Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Eudora Welty’s novel The Optimist’s Daughter was published in 1972 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year. Welty, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1906, originally wrote the The Optimist’s Daughter as a short story for The New Yorker, in which it was published in 1969. Welty is widely known as a Southern writer because her fiction is derived from the politics, people, and culture of the American South. Before becoming... Read The Optimist's Daughter Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past

Tags Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is a collection of 15 short stories from the award-winning science fiction author, Ken Liu. The collection includes tales of magical realism, futuristic technology, historical fiction, and gritty noir. Simon and Schuster published the book in 2016.Through these narratives, which often switch back from past to present or from story to book excerpts or legends, Liu invokes several diverse worlds with many Asian protagonists. In his stories, he references... Read The Paper Menagerie Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family

Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


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 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Travel Literature, Food


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family

Tags Race / Racism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sports, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin was published in 2005. Her 17th book, it won The Foreword Book of the Year Gold Medal for Young Adult Fiction and the VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Award. It was also a Bank Street College Teen Selection in 2006. In it, high school basketball player Brian Hammet works on a history project about the trial of Leo Frank. This historical event mirrors the current trial of Michael Daine... Read The Perfect Shot Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery

Tags Business / Economics, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, Psychology


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 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags LGBTQ, Education, Education, Biography

The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood is a memoir published in 2014 by Richard Blanco, President Barack Obama’s inaugural poet, whose works include “América” (1998), “The Island Within” (2012), and “One Today” (2013). Blanco describes his childhood living in Miami with parents and grandparents who’d immigrated to America from Cuba. It offers a picture of his family’s nostalgia for Cuba and his simultaneous struggle to relate to a world he’s never seen. His... Read The Prince of Los Cocuyos Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

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


Publication year 1958

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Colonial America

The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop (1958) is a work of history by Edmund S. Morgan. The Puritan Dilemma is a biographical study of the first governor of colonial Massachusetts, John Winthrop. Morgan examines Winthrop’s work and life, presenting him as a man of high ideals who understood how to lead as a model of moderation and practical flexibility. Though many Puritans chose to withdraw from the world into little cells of self-righteousness... Read The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Inspirational, History: World, Biography


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 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