Trust & Doubt

Believing in people, institutions, or the spiritual world requires an act of trust. What happens when that trust is shaken, either by our own wavering commitments or an act of betrayal? Can trust ever be regained once it is lost? These are some of the ideas explored in this thematic collection.

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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


Publication year 1860

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Education

Tags Health / Medicine, Psychology, Relationships, Science / Nature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Florence Nightingale was an English nurse commonly known as the founder of modern nursing practices. Born in Italy, she became an experienced nurse and formed many of her opinions while serving in the Crimean War, enrolling in nursing school at age 24 in Germany. She penned Notes on Nursing: What It Is, and What it Is Not in 1859, just a few years after serving in the war, and the work was first published in... Read Notes on Nursing Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

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


Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Self Help, Psychology, Business / Economics, Science / Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Politics / Government

In 2021 the behavioral economists Richard H. Thaler and the legal scholar Cass R. Sunstein released an updated, “final” version of their 2008 book Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth, and Happiness. Drawing on research from psychology, economics, sociology, and elsewhere, Thaler and Sunstein make the case for the importance of “nudges.” Nudges, according to these authors, are “aspects of choice architecture” that predictably alter behavior without forbidding or commanding anything (8). Choice architecture refers... Read Nudge Summary


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags British Literature, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction

On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 395

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Philosophy, Politics / Government


Publication year 2021

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Education, Politics / Government, History: World


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 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult


Publication year 2009

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams

Tags History: U.S., Sports, Biography


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology


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 1941

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction

Out of This Furnace is a multi-generational narrative about a Slovak family’s immigration to America. As an immigrant narrative focusing on three separate, yet intertwined generations, the story looks at the tenuous journey of the family as it makes its way from Hungary to America, including all the ups and downs associated with immigrant life as the Kracha family’s lives evolve along with the so-called American Dream.The narrative begins with George “Djuro” Kracha, who boards... Read Out of This Furnace Summary


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 1670

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, French Literature, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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


Publication year 1939

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Language

Tags Humor, Post Modernism


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance