The Past

In George Orwell's 1984 a character says, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." The past may be behind us, but its events—and how we remember them—have a profound effect on the present. In this collection explore texts that examine the complications and complexities of the past.

Mystic River

by Dennis Lehane

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Childhood & Youth, The Past, Loyalty & Betrayal

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

Dennis Lehane’s 2001 thriller/mystery novel, Mystic River, follows the lives of three childhood friends who suffer a traumatic event. Twenty-five years later, they are forced back into one another’s lives when one of their daughters is found murdered. In 2002, the novel earned the Dilys Award and was made into an Academy Award-winning film directed by Clint Eastwood. This study guide uses the 2003 First Dark Alley edition of the book. Plot SummaryIn 1975, Dave... Read Mystic River Summary

Needful Things

by Stephen King

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Community, Power & Greed, Conflict, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse

... Read Needful Things Summary

Next of Kin

by Hannah Bonam-Young

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Disability, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Next of Kin Summary

Night Flying Woman

by Ignatia Broker

Publication year 1983

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality, Community, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Shame & Pride, Hope

Tags Women`s Studies, Education, Education, US History, Coming of Age, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Anthropology, Anthropology, World History, Arts & Culture

... Read Night Flying Woman Summary

None Left to Tell

by Noelle W. Ihli

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Hope, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Colonialism, Immigration, War, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense

... Read None Left to Tell Summary

North

by Seamus Heaney

Publication year 1985

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes The Past, Place, Language, Literature, War

Tags Lyric Poem, Irish Literature, European History, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read North Summary

North Woods

by Daniel Mason

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Memory, Fate, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Magical Realism

... Read North Woods Summary

Notes on Being a Man

by Scott Galloway

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Grandparents, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Immigration, Politics & Government, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses

... Read Notes on Being a Man Summary

Not Nothing

by Gayle Forman

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Friendship, Community

Tags Coming of Age, Children`s Literature

... Read Not Nothing Summary

Now I Surrender

by Álvaro Enrigue, Transl. Natasha Wimmer

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Regret, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, The Past, Environment, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, War, Equality, Justice, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature, Literary Fiction, Western

Now I Surrender (2024) is a historical novel by the acclaimed Mexican author Álvaro Enrigue. A work of autofiction and a revisionist Western, the novel weaves together three distinct timelines to explore the brutal history of the American Southwest. The narrative is framed by the reflections of a contemporary Mexican writer on a family road trip through the former territory of Apachería, a research journey for a book about the Apache Wars. This modern pilgrimage... Read Now I Surrender Summary