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.

Murder by Cheesecake

by Rachel Ekstrom Courage

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Love, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Murder by Cheesecake Summary

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

by Emil Ferris

Publication year 2017

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Coming of Age, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Community, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Family, Art, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Race, Fear, Conflict, Beauty, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Loneliness, Grief, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture

... Read My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Summary

My Oxford Year

by Julia Whelan

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Literature, Fear, Grief, Hope, Memory, Regret, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, British Literature

... Read My Oxford Year Summary

My Sister's Keeper

by Jodi Picoult

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Good & Evil, Grief, Guilt, Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Death, Disability

Tags Dramatic Literature, Health, Disability, Grief & Death, Parenting

My Sister’s Keeper is a 2004 novel by bestselling author Jodi Picoult centered on the controversy of savior siblings. In the novel, Anna Fitzgerald fights for medical emancipation in order to have a choice in whether or not she will donate a kidney to her sister, Kate, who has leukemia. In 2009, the novel was adapted into a feature film released by New Line Cinema. The movie was directed by Nick Cassavetes and starred Cameron... Read My Sister's Keeper Summary

Nation

by Terry Pratchett

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Coming of Age, Death, Colonialism, Community, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction

Nation (2008) is a standalone young-adult adventure novel by the acclaimed British author Sir Terry Pratchett, best known for his satirical Discworld series of fantasy novels. Set in a parallel version of the 19th-century world, the story begins after a catastrophic tsunami devastates a remote island chain. The novel follows Mau, the sole survivor of his island people, and Daphne, a shipwrecked English aristocrat. As a small group of other refugees arrives, the two must... Read Nation Summary

Native Speaker

by Chang-rae Lee

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Language, Race, Grief, Truth & Lies

Tags Asian Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Classic Fiction

Native Speaker (1995) by Chang-rae Lee is an immensely popular novel that jumpstarted Chang-rae Lee’s illustrious career as a novelist. The novel won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Best Novel, and it is still included in contemporary lists of best novels about New York City. Chang-rae Lee teaches creative writing at Stanford University and has since published numerous bestsellers, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Surrendered. Native Speaker criticizes American culture’s pressure on immigrants and ethnic... Read Native Speaker Summary

Network Effect

by Martha Wells

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Future, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Humor

... Read Network Effect Summary

Never Fall Down

by Patricia McCormick

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Grief

Tags Military & War, Realistic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

The 2012 novel Never Fall Down is based on the true story of Arn Chorn-Pond, an eleven-year-old Cambodian boy who is taken from his town and becomes a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge, a radical Communist regime that ruled Cambodia from 1975-1979.Arn’s journey takes him from his hometown of Battambang, Cambodia, through four years of forced labor and fighting for the Khmer Rouge as a child soldier, to a refugee camp in Thailand, and... Read Never Fall Down Summary

Next to Normal

by Brian Yorkey

Publication year 2008

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Grief, Mental Health, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression & Suicide

Next to Normal (2009) is a rock musical with book and lyrics by American playwright Brian Yorkey. The book follows Diana Goodman, a suburban mother who has bipolar disorder, and her family as they reckon with the impact that Diana’s mental illness has on their lives. When it becomes clear that Diana’s medical treatment has failed to eliminate her hallucinations, the family chooses to explore alternative treatment methods, including electroconvulsive therapy. The musical explores The... Read Next to Normal Summary