Grief

"The art of losing isn't hard to master," wrote poet Elizabeth Bishop. Perhaps she meant that we will all face loss at some point in our lives. In this collection, we have brought together texts that take up the universal experience of grief.

Insomnia

by Stephen King

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fate, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction

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In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried

by Amy Hempel

Publication year 1983

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Death, Grief, Guilt

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Grief & Death

American author Amy Hempel wrote the minimalist short story “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried” in 1983. The story is dedicated to Jessica Wolfson, Hempel’s friend who died of a terminal illness. Originally published in TriQuarterly, the story appeared in her first short story collection, Reasons to Live, in 1985.The story is written in the first-person point of view, with minimal detail provided about the narrator. The story is presumed to take place... Read In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried Summary

In The Shadow Of The Banyan

by Vaddey Ratner

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Social Class, Asian History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Vietnam War, Military & War, Asian Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

In the Shadow of the Banyan (2012) is a historical fiction novel by the Cambodian American author Vaddey Ratner. Set in the 1970s during the Cambodian genocide, the book’s perspective is from Raami, a seven-year-old girl and the daughter of a minor prince whose family is among the millions of Cambodians persecuted by the Khmer Rouge. While Raami’s story hews very closely to Ratner’s own real-life experiences, the author chose to write a work of... Read In The Shadow Of The Banyan Summary

Invisible Girl

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Masculinity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Iron Lake

by William Kent Krueger

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Death, Climate, Environment, Place, Family, Colonialism, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

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Ironwood

by Michael Connelly

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Future, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense

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Isola

by Allegra Goodman

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Perseverance, Gender Identity, Death, Nature Versus Nurture, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction

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Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Death, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness

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Jade Legacy

by Fonda Lee

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Dramatic Literature

The third and final installment of the Green Bone Saga trilogy spans over two decades in the struggle between the No Peak and Mountain clans, two powerful organizations on the island nation of Kekon whose members, known as Green Bones, possess superhuman abilities granted by the bioenergetic mineral jade. The novel traces the Kaul family's fight for survival against Ayt Mada, the Pillar (ruling head) of the rival Mountain clan, while navigating international politics, generational... Read Jade Legacy Summary