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.

Touching the Void

by Joe Simpson

Publication year 1988

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Death, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Fate, Safety & Danger

Tags Action & Adventure, Travel Literature, Sports, Science & Nature, Biography

Touching the Void is a 1988 memoir by British author Joe Simpson. The book recounts the disastrous, near-fatal attempt of Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, to ascend the West Face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. The book details Simpson’s harrowing ordeal, in which he broke his leg and fell into a crevasse, and how he survived against seemingly insurmountable odds.Simpson’s narrative highlights the resilience of the human spirit and explores the... Read Touching the Void Summary

Tracker

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Death, Animals

Tags Action & Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Science & Nature

... Read Tracker Summary

Traveling through the Dark

by William Stafford

Publication year 1962

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Hope, Regret, Death, Animals, Environment, Place

Published in 1962 in an America just beginning to grapple with the responsibilities of environmental stewardship and the catastrophic cost of technology’s impact on nature, William Stafford’s deceptively simple poem “Traveling Through the Dark” raises difficult—often unanswerable—questions about humanity’s responsibility for the future of nature. Driving a mountain road one night, the speaker comes upon a dead doe, hit by a car and left by the side of the road. While clearing the deer off... Read Traveling through the Dark Summary

Triptych

by Karin Slaughter

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Disability, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Social Class, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Tuck Everlasting

by Natalie Babbitt

Publication year 1975

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Friendship, Coming of Age, Family

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Romance

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt follows the journey of a young girl’s decision to live forever or remain mortal. The book received many honors and awards, including the Janusz Korczak Medal and the 1976 Christopher Award as best book for young people, among others, and it was named an ALA Notable Book. Tuck Everlasting was adapted twice into a full-length feature film (1981 and 2002), and it appeared on Broadway as a stage musical in... Read Tuck Everlasting Summary

Tuesday's with Morrie

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Death

Tags Philosophy, Philosophy, Modern Classic Fiction, Inspirational, Biography, Self-Improvement, Classic Fiction

First published in 1997, Tuesday’s with Morrie: An Old Man, A Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson, is a nonfiction memoir that describes author Mitch Albom’s visits to a beloved college professor who is dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease, and the lessons he learns there. The book became a New York Times #1 bestseller and remained on the list for nearly four years, selling 15 million copies in 45 languages. It also became an Emmy-winning... Read Tuesday's with Morrie Summary

Two Degrees

by Alan Gratz

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Grief, Indigenous Identity, Justice, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Fathers, Friendship, Teamwork, Mothers, Animals, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Plants, Place, Politics & Government, Community

Tags Action & Adventure, Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Natural Disaster, Climate Change, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

... Read Two Degrees Summary

Two Trains Running

by August Wilson

Publication year 1993

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Equality, Justice, Perseverance, Death

Tags Drama, Historical Drama, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, African American Literature, Black Arts Movement, Race & Racism, Social Class, Finance, Education, Education, American Literature, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Two Trains Running by August Wilson first opened in 1990 at the Yale Repertory Theatre with Samuel L. Jackson as Wolf and Laurence Fishburne playing Sterling. The play premiered on Broadway in 1992, receiving four Tony nominations in 1992 including Best Play. Two Trains Running is a part of Wilson’s Century Cycle, also known as the Pittsburgh Cycle, which consists of 10 plays: one for each decade of the 20th century, each depicting the changing... Read Two Trains Running Summary

Under the Volcano

by Malcolm Lowry

Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Marriage, Environment, Death, Apathy

Tags Historical Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse, British Literature, Modernism, World History, Classic Fiction

Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry is a modernist novel published in 1947. Set in Quauhnahuac, Mexico, in 1938, it follows the Consul, a former British diplomat with an alcohol addiction, on the day of his death. In addition to the Consul, the small cast of characters includes the Consul’s half-brother, Hugh, his ex-wife, Yvonne, and his friend-turned-enemy, Jacques Laruelle. Malcolm Lowry, who spent time in Mexico and was known to have experienced addiction himself... Read Under the Volcano Summary

Unlikely Animals

by Annie Hartnett

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Community, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Memory, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Animals, Environment, Fathers, Siblings

Tags Magical Realism, Humor, Animals, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

... Read Unlikely Animals Summary