Loyalty & Betrayal

The texts in this thematic collection organized around the idea of Loyalty & Betrayal range from Dennis Lehane's Mystic River to Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat. But each book explores the idea in its own way, revealing the intricate ways we may maintain loyalty at all costs — or test the bonds of family and friend relationships through deep betrayal.

Eat a Bowl of Tea

by Louis Chu

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Community, Immigration, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

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Eldritch

by Keri Lake

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Place, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense

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Ellen Foster

by Kaye Gibbons

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Memory, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Love, Gratitude, Hope, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Equality, Good & Evil, Literature, Art, Beauty, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Nature Versus Nurture, Appearance & Reality

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, Life-Inspired Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

Ellen Foster is a work of adult fiction by US novelist Kaye Gibbons, first published by Algonquin Books in 1987. The novel was Gibbons’s debut, and it won the Sue Kaufman Prize for literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and a notable citation from the Ernest Hemingway Foundation. Critics praised the novel for its unsentimental outlook and the wry, distinct voice of its protagonist. Ellen, a young girl living in the American... Read Ellen Foster Summary

Empire of Pain

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Siblings, Art, Trust & Doubt, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Health, Politics & Government, US History, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Business & Economics, Crime & Law, Finance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Biography

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Endgame

by Omid Scobie

Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Conflict, Nostalgia, Future, The Past, Family, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags European History, Politics & Government, Sociology, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Biography

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Enough

by Cassidy Hutchinson

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Nation, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Biography

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Erec and Enide

by Chrétien De Troyes

Publication year 1170

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Marriage

Tags Romance, Medieval, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Erec and Enide is a book-length poem written by French poet Chrétien de Troyes around the year 1170. The poem is one of Chrétien’s series of so-called Arthurian romances—a genre of poem in the Middle Ages that told the stories of the individuals associated with King Arthur’s court. His poems are among the earliest to refer to King Arthur and his knights, and Erec and Enide focuses on the adventures of the knight Erec. This... Read Erec and Enide Summary

Eternal

by Lisa Scottoline

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Hate & Anger, Family, Friendship, War, Race, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fear, Food, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II, Military & War, Italian Literature, World History

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Exile

by Shannon Messenger

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Animals, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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Exit Strategy

by Martha Wells

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Perseverance, Loneliness, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

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Exodus

by Kate Stewart

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Appearance & Reality, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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Faker

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fathers, Friendship, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Children`s Literature

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