"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Magical Realism, Health / Medicine, History: Asian, Gender / Feminism, Parenting, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
Translated from the Korean by Chi-young Kim, Please Look After Mom (2008) by Kyung-sook Shin is an international work of best-selling fiction. When 69-year-old So-nyo Park goes missing one Saturday outside Seoul Station, her disappearance sets in motion a desperate search not only for where So-nyo might be but for who So-nyo was to her shocked and confused family members. One by one, So-nyo’s family comes to terms with the fact that they didn’t know... Read Please Look After Mom Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Animals, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Introduction Prey is a 2002 science-fiction novel by Michael Crichton. Like his more popular novels in the Jurassic Park series, Prey employs the misuse of technology—and the hubris of opportunistic scientists—to pit his characters against a threat. In this case, the danger comes in the form of nanobots, microscopic agents that are rapidly evolving to destroy the people in a Nevada molecular fabrication lab. This guide uses the 2009 HarperCollins eBook edition of Prey. Content... Read Prey Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Military / War, WWI / World War I
Private Peaceful (2003) is a historical fiction novel by English author Michael Morpurgo. The story revolves around the reminiscences of Thomas “Tommo” Peaceful, a young World War I soldier who reflects on his upbringing in rural England. Thomas bridges the past and present while awaiting the execution of his older brother, Charlie, who faces charges of cowardice.Other works by this author include War Horse, The Butterfly Lion, and An Elephant in the Garden.This guide refers to... Read Private Peaceful Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Social Justice, Education, Education, History: World
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
Publication year 1813
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Christian literature, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Fantasy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Food, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Technology, Arts / Culture, American Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Depression / Suicide, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Psychology, Biography
Publication year 1938
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Gothic Literature, Modernism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, 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
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Military / War, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1926
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Depression / Suicide, Satire, Roaring Twenties
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Lyric Poem