Mortality & Death

"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.

Lincoln in the Bardo

by George Saunders

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, Community, Forgiveness, Memory, Guilt, War, Fathers, Appearance & Reality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, American Civil War, Religion & Spirituality, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, World History

The novel Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, published by Random House in 2017, offers a portrait of an American legend in mourning, surrounded by a poignant but funny cast of 166 characters. It is Saunders’s debut novel, though he has been a notable author of short story collections for decades. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was a New York Times best seller.Set in 1862, Lincoln in the Bardo is... Read Lincoln in the Bardo Summary

Little Wonder

by Sophie Chen Keller

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Coming of Age, Death, Climate, Environment, Place, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Art, Equality, Music

Tags Literary Fiction

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Looking for Alaska

by John Green

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Forgiveness, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Realistic Fiction, Depression & Suicide, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Looking for Alaska is narrated by a sixteen-year-old boy, Miles Halter, who leaves behind his mundane life in Florida to attend a boarding school called Culver Creek. He is inspired by biographies detailing the adventures of notable figures during their days at boarding school. Most of all, he is motivated by the notion of a “Great Perhaps”. Miles has a fascination with famous last words, and particularly with the last words of the poet Francois... Read Looking for Alaska Summary

Lycidas

by John Milton

Publication year 1638

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Grief, Death, Friendship

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief & Death, Pastoralism, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

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Madonna in a Fur Coat

by Sabahattin Ali

Publication year 1943

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Loneliness, Regret, Memory, Death, Equality

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction

Madonna in a Fur Coat (1943) is a literary romance by Turkish author Sabahattin Ali. The story is framed by an unnamed narrator in 1940s Ankara who becomes fascinated by his quiet and melancholic colleague, a German translator named Raif Efendi. On his deathbed, Raif gives the narrator a black notebook containing the story of Raif’s transformative youth in 1920s Weimar Berlin and his passionate, complex relationship with a German artist, Maria Puder. Through this... Read Madonna in a Fur Coat Summary

Magic Lessons

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Animals, Plants, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Education, Fate, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Alice Hoffman's novel is set in 17th-century England and colonial America, tracing the origins of the Owens family of witches across decades of love, betrayal, and persecution.In 1664, in Essex County, England, an old woman named Hannah Owens discovers an abandoned baby girl in a snowy field, wrapped in a blue blanket stitched with the name Maria. A crow settles on the basket and never leaves, becoming the child's familiar, a creature bonded to a... Read Magic Lessons Summary

Mahabharata

by Anonymous

Publication year -1

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Family, War, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses

Tags Narrative Poem, Indian Literature, Mythology, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy

David R. Slavitt’s 2015 translation of the Mahabharata is an abridged, modern English rendition of the ancient Indian epic. Slavitt, an American poet, novelist, and translator, is experienced in translating classical texts for contemporary audiences. His translation seeks to make this foundational work of South Asian literature accessible to modern readers.The Mahabharata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa and was composed between approximately 400 BCE and 400 CE. As one of the longest epic... Read Mahabharata Summary

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Race, Grief, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Social Class, Colonialism, Equality

Tags Romance, British Literature, Historical Fiction

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a contemporary comedy of manners written by English-born author Helen Simonson, exploring the tensions that erupt in a conservative English village when a respected widower, Major Pettigrew, falls in love with Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper’s widow. While the Major longs for companionship with the gracious and sensible Mrs. Ali, he must also navigate conflicts with his self-absorbed son, the changing economy of rural English life, and the melodrama unfolding... Read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Summary

Maniac Magee

by Jerry Spinelli

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Race, Family, Coming of Age, Death

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Published in 1990, Maniac Magee is a Newbery award–winning middle grade novel by renowned children’s author Jerry Spinelli. After his parents die, 11-year-old Jeffrey Lionel Magee runs away from his guardians and a year later ends up in the racially divided Pennsylvania town of Two Mills. Jeffrey, a white boy, finds a home with a Black family, but racial tension and threats send him back on the run. By accepting a host of challenges with... Read Maniac Magee Summary

Marie Antoinette

by Antonia Fraser

Publication year 2001

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Apathy, Conflict, Fear, Joy, Femininity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Biography, Historical Nonfiction, European History, Politics & Government

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Mary

by Nat Cassidy

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, Aging, Midlife, Death, Place, Teamwork, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

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Masters of Death

by Olivie Blake

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Death, Future, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Masters of Death Summary