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.

Properties of Thirst

by Marianne Wiggins

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Memory, Perseverance, Nation, Justice, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Arts & Culture, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Food, Grief & Death, US History, World History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Incarceration, Military & War, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Social Justice

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Pushing the Bear

by Diane Glancy

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Indigenous Identity, Death, Place, Family, Colonialism, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, US History, Social Justice, Education, Education, World History

Written by Diane Glancy in 1996, Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears follows a group of Cherokee people as they are forced to relocate to “Indian Territory” in Oklahoma in 1838 and 1839. The novel is told from varying perspectives of members of the Cherokee Nation as well as soldiers, reverends, and disembodied voices. These shifting perspectives create a fragmented yet nuanced narrative as Glancy weaves together multiple viewpoints and utilizes... Read Pushing the Bear Summary

Quicksand

by Nella Larsen

Publication year 1928

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief

Tags Harlem Renaissance, Race & Racism, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Quicksand tells the story of Helga Crane, a young woman of biracial parentage who experiences discrimination in America in the early 20th century. She and her Danish mother are deserted by her African-American father shortly after her birth. The early portion of the book portrays Helga as a young teacher at Naxos, a boarding school in the American South established for the purpose of educating young Negro children. The book relies heavily upon an increasingly... Read Quicksand Summary

Raising Hare

by Chloe Dalton

Publication year 2025

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Environment, Grief, Hope, Love, Animals, Self Discovery

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Nature Writing, Animals, Science & Nature

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Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

Publication year 1938

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, Social Class, Coming of Age, Loyalty & Betrayal, The Past, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Fear, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Beauty, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed, Grief, Conflict, Memory, Truth & Lies, Loneliness

Tags British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Gothic Literature, Modernism, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction

Rebecca, a bestselling novel by famed English writer Daphne du Maurier, was published in 1938, and has never gone out of print. The winner of the National Book Award for favorite novel of 1938, Rebecca has been adapted numerous times, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and a 1997 television miniseries. It was most recently adapted for a Netflix film in 2020 by the same name. Rebecca... Read Rebecca Summary

Rebound

by Kwame Alexander

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Family, Childhood & Youth, Grief, Perseverance

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Historical Fiction, African American Literature

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Reckless Girls

by Rachel Hawkins

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Grief, Gender Identity, Friendship, Social Class, Equality, Justice, Revenge

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction

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Remain

by Nicholas Sparks, M. Night Shyamalan

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy

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Reminders of Him

by Colleen Hoover

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Forgiveness, Self Discovery, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Music, Trust & Doubt, Appearance & Reality, Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

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Renegades

by Marissa Meyer

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Death, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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