Memory

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.

What the Best College Students Do

by Ken Bain

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Memory, Coming of Age

Tags Education, Self-Improvement, Education, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology

What the Best College Students Do, by American professor Ken Bain, describes how students can make the best of their college experience, not by trying to get good grades, but by studying deeply the topics that fascinate them. Filled with examples of students who followed their love of knowledge and went on to successful professional careers, What the Best College Students Do makes the case for deep learning, a process that provides benefits that can... Read What the Best College Students Do Summary

What the Wind Knows

by Amy Harmon

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Language, Safety & Danger, Memory, The Past, Politics & Government, Family, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Military & War, European History, Politics & Government, World History, Irish Literature

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When the Sea Turned to Silver

by Grace Lin

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Memory, Coming of Age, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Grandparents, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Children`s Literature, Chinese Literature

When the Sea Turned Silver by Grace Lin takes readers on a journey through a richly imagined world full of imagery and Chinese folklore. The novel follows the adventures of Pinmei and Yishan as they navigate themes of Finding and Creating Identity, The Power of Stories, and how Perception Shapes Reality. Recognized for its storytelling and cultural depth, When the Sea Turned Silver was a 2016 National Book Award Finalist. Critics praise the novel for... Read When the Sea Turned to Silver Summary

Whiskey Tender

by Deborah Jackson Taffa

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

Tags World History, Race & Racism, Biography

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White Angel

by Michael Cunningham

Publication year 1988

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Siblings, Family, Death

Tags Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Education, Education

Michael Cunningham’s short story “White Angel” was published first in the New Yorker in 1987 and later as a chapter in his 1990 novel A Home at the End of the World. Cunningham has won several major literary awards, including the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel The Hours. “White Angel” is written in a realist style, poetic and at times humorous. The author uses symbolism to illustrate the narrator’s preoccupation with time... Read White Angel Summary

White Bird

by R. J. Palacio

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Disability, Death, Safety & Danger, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Memory, The Past, Fear, Family, War, Grief, Conflict, Fathers, Justice, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Trust & Doubt, Hope, Gratitude, Loneliness, Loyalty & Betrayal, Appearance & Reality, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Dramatic Literature, World War II, Holocaust, Military & War, World History

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White Is for Witching

by Helen Oyeyemi

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Hate & Anger, Memory, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, LGBTQ+, Magical Realism, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Mental Illness, European History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

White Is for Witching, published in 2009, is Helen Oyeyemi’s third novel, for which she received the Somerset Maugham Award. A finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award, White Is for Witching explores both traditional horror and the horrors of racism. Oyeyemi’s novels often center the experience of historically marginalized groups, which perhaps reflects her own background as a Nigerian-born English citizen who attended Cambridge University. White Is for Witching frames histories of racism as supernatural... Read White Is for Witching Summary

Wifedom

by Anna Funder

Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Memory, Femininity, Marriage, War, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies

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Wild

by Cheryl Strayed

Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Forgiveness, Memory, Hate & Anger, Love, Shame & Pride, Fear, Grief, Perseverance, Conflict, Loneliness, Hope, Safety & Danger, Environment, Place, Mothers

Tags Grief & Death, Travel Literature, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Science & Nature, Action & Adventure, Biography

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