In many ways, who we are is shaped by what we remember, yet our recollections aren't always a reliable account of the past. This collection gathers texts that explore the ideas, theories, and challenges conjured by memory.
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery
Tags Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychology, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology
The Echo Maker (2006) is a psychological mystery thriller by American author Richard Powers. The novel follows protagonist Mark Schluter in the wake of an accidental brain injury that led him to believe that his sister, Karin, is an imposter. The resulting conflict leads to questions of meaning, perception, and identity. The author of 13 books as of 2023, Powers has won numerous awards, including a Pushcart Prize in 2003, a National Book Award for... Read The Echo Maker Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Immigration
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II
The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (2014) is a science fiction thriller by British author Claire North, a pseudonym for Catherine Webb. The novel centers on Harry August, a man who is reborn in the same time and place each time he dies, retaining all his memories. When he learns that the end of the world is accelerating with each life cycle, he must use his unique position in time to uncover the cause... Read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
The Fisherman, a 2016 novel by John Langan, blends realism with ripples of folklore, fantasy, and literary horror to craft an ominous saga of a fishing trip gone wrong. Set in the lonely reaches of New York’s Hudson River Valley, Langan’s story embraces the grotesque as it bestrides two narrative streams: a contemporary account of grief, guilt, and cosmic horror, and an embedded tale about strange events plaguing the construction of the Ashokan Reservoir in... Read The Fisherman Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Biography, History: World
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Education, Education, Asian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
The Gangster We Are All Looking For, published in 2003, is a novel that takes the reader through the life of a young, unnamed girl—whom we will call “the Girl”—and her family, who have fled Vietnam in the wake of the war with America to live in San Diego, California. The book draws upon author lê thi diêm thúy’s own experience as a Vietnamese refugee in America. The story begins with the Girl leaving Vietnam... Read The Gangster We Are All Looking For Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Military / War
The Garden of Evening Mists (2012) is a historical novel by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng. A former intellectual property lawyer, Eng received international acclaim for his first novel, The Gift of Rain (2007), which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. The Garden of Evening Mists, his second novel, was shortlisted for the same prize. The narrative follows Teoh Yun Ling, a Malaysian woman who, while confronting a degenerative neurological condition that is erasing... Read The Garden of Evening Mists Summary
Publication year 1794
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, British Literature
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Irish Literature
The Gathering by Anne Enright is a novel about family history, grief, and the ways we learn to live with our pasts. Published in 2007, The Gathering was awarded the prestigious Man Booker Prize. The Gathering is Anne Enright’s fourth novel. Enright is the author of seven novels and is a major figure in contemporary Irish literature. This guide is based on the following 2007 Black Cat edition of The Gathering.Content Warning: This guide summarizes... Read The Gathering Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction
Paula Hawkins wrote The Girl on the Train over the course of six months in 2014. Hawkins, an Oxford-educated journalist and writer, drew on her experience as a reporter in London to structure the novel and describe its locations. Drawing immediate comparisons to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, The Girl on the Train had similar performance, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015, and remaining there for 13 consecutive weeks... Read The Girl On The Train Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a 2016 fantasy novel for middle school readers by American author Kelly Barnhill. The story follows a young girl named Luna, who is accidentally enmagicked as a baby. As Luna grows, she struggles to recover important things she has lost: her memories, her mother, and her magic. With rich, lyrical language and gentle humor, Barnhill creates a fairytale-like world very different from ours, but one that faces similar... Read The Girl Who Drank the Moon Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die is a thriller/suspense novel by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. Published in 2013, the novel involves a 16-year-old protagonist who wakes up in a cabin in the woods. She has no recollection of who she is or how she’s ended up in the cabin. There are obvious signs that she’s been tortured, and she overhears that she is going to be killed. With this beginning, The Girl... Read The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Magical Realism
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags History: World