"To err is human, to forgive divine," wrote poet Alexander Pope, suggesting that to forgive is sacred but also difficult—even impossible—for us mortals. This study guide collection gathers together texts with themes on the merits and challenges of forgiveness.
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Grandparents, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags The Beat Generation, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Absurdism, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction
On the Road, published in 1957, is a novel by prominent Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac that recalls his cross-country travels across the US in the late 1940s. It explores concepts of society, freedom, and—most of all—friendship.Sal Paradise (Kerouac’s pseudonym) is the story’s protagonist and narrator, while other key characters stand in for fellow Beat luminaries in his circle, including poet Allen Ginsberg (best known for the revolutionary 1956 poem Howl) and writer William S... Read On the Road Summary
Publication year 1888
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, New Adult, Latin American Literature, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1997
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Food, Society: Education
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, History: U.S., Great Depression, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust is a historical middle-grade novel in verse first published in 1997. Through 110 first-person free verse poems, the narrative tells the story of two years in the life of Billie Jo Kelby, young daughter of a struggling farming family in the Oklahoma Panhandle in the mid-1930s. After a tragic accident results in the death of Billie Jo’s mother and baby brother, she and her father must find a way... Read Out of the Dust Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Siblings
Tags True Crime
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Grief / Death, Relationships
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Social Justice, Biography
Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption is a 2009 memoir written by Ronald Cotton and Jennifer Thompson-Cannino. The coauthors share a unique relationship. When she was 22, Jennifer mistakenly identified Ronald as the man who raped her in her apartment. He was wrongfully convicted and spent 11 years in prison before being exonerated by DNA testing. Together, they tell their story, which explores themes of Victimization, Guilt, and Shame; The Unreliability of Eyewitness... Read Picking Cotton Summary
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Japanese Literature, Education, Education, History: U.S., Asian Literature, Classic Fiction
Genre Poetry Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal
Presumed Innocent (1987) is Scott Turow’s first novel, originally published by Farrar Straus & Giroux. The hit novel stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks and is often credited as an early example of the modern legal thriller, helping to shape the genre’s conventions. Turow went on to publish 12 additional novels and three nonfiction works. He also continued to practice law, specializing in criminal defense, contrasting with Presumed Innocent’s protagonist... Read Presumed Innocent Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags History: World
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Indigenous, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community
Tags Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Social Science