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.

Old New York

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1924

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Femininity, Masculinity, Death, The Past, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Art, Beauty, Equality, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Olive Kitteridge

by Elizabeth Strout

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Grief, Family

Tags Modern Classic Fiction

Published in 2008, Olive Kitteridge is an unconventional novel by Elizabeth Strout that interlinks 13 tales about the people of Crosby, Maine. The novel is a collection of short stories tied together by the unifying element of titular character Olive Kitteridge. The novel won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and HBO created a mini-series of the book in 2014. Because of its construction, Strout’s novel is less about its plot than it is about... Read Olive Kitteridge Summary

Olive's Ocean

by Kevin Henkes

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Family, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Relationships

Kevin Henkes is the author of Olive’s Ocean, a 2001 coming-of-age chapter book for young readers. Kevin has written and illustrated several books for children and young readers, including Waiting (1991) and The Year of Billy Miller (2013). Henkes was born in Wisconsin, and this Midwest state is the home of his character Billy Miller, as well as Martha Boyle, the 12-year-old protagonist in Olive’s Ocean. In the novel, Martha grapples with the sudden death... Read Olive's Ocean Summary

Olivetti

by Allie Millington

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Guilt, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Literature

Tags Children`s Literature

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Omeros

by Derek Walcott

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Climate, Environment, Plants, Place, Friendship, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Narrative Poem, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Postmodernism

Omeros (1990) by Derek Walcott is an epic poem that reimagines The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer on the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. Walcott explores themes of post-colonial identity and trauma while linking life on the island to Homer’s legendary characters, such as Achilles, Helen, and Hector. Omeros has been celebrated as a foundational work of post-colonial fiction and has won numerous awards. This guide refers to the 1992 Farrar, Straus... Read Omeros Summary

On Beauty

by Zadie Smith

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Beauty, Family, Marriage, Aging, Religion & Spirituality, Race, Loyalty & Betrayal, Mothers, Social Class, Community, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Siblings, Midlife, Trust & Doubt, Friendship, Loneliness, Childhood & Youth, Forgiveness, Art, Apathy, Guilt, Equality, Hate & Anger, Coming of Age, Masculinity, Conflict, Education, Femininity, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Death, Grief, Gender Identity, Hope

Tags British Literature, Race & Racism, Modern Classic Fiction

On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary

On Call

by Anthony Fauci

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Death, Family, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Science & Technology

Tags Biography, Politics & Government, Science & Nature, World History, Health

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Once and Again

by Rebecca Serle

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Regret, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Fathers, Grandparents, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Magical Realism, Relationships

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Once More to the Lake

by E. B. White

Publication year 1941

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Death, Memory, Environment

Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction

“Once More to the Lake” is a narrative nonfiction essay written by E. B. White. The essay was originally published in Harper’s Magazine in 1941. White (1899-1985) was an American author best known for his children’s novels, including Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little, as well as his contribution as co-author to The Elements of Style, a seminal English-language writing guide. “Once More to the Lake” recounts White’s experience of revisiting, as an adult, a lakefront... Read Once More to the Lake Summary

On Death and Dying

by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Publication year 1969

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Grief, Death, Family

Tags Science & Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Grief & Death, Health

On Death and Dying is a 1969 psychological study by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. It is best known in popular culture for introducing the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Kübler-Ross’s work with terminally ill patients inspired the model. She wrote the study as a response to the lack of instruction in medical schools about how to handle the topic of death. It was the very first book written by Kübler-Ross in her... Read On Death and Dying Summary

One Day

by David Nicholls

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Marriage, Fate

Tags Romance, Drama, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

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Only If You're Lucky

by Stacy Willingham

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Coming of Age, Death, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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On My Honor

by Marion Dane Bauer

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Truth & Lies, Death

Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Grief & Death

On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer is a middle grade and young adult novel published in 1986. It was a Newberry Honor winner in 1987 and was also named an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Bauer is a prolific writer who has written more than 80 books for young readers. In this novel, written in third-person omniscient point of view, she uses sparse language to deliver a profound message about honor... Read On My Honor Summary