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.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Mental Illness
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, British Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Christian literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Military / War, Science / Nature, Biography, History: European, History: World, Crime / Legal, Technology, WWI / World War I
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Historical Fiction, Satire, Politics / Government, Jewish Literature, American Literature
Publication year 1934
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1901
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Naturalism, Technology, Business / Economics, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Publication year 1965
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Education, Education, American Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Humor, Classic Fiction
The Odd Couple is a satirical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It opened on Broadway in 1965 and chronicles the unconventional relationship between friends turned roommates, Oscar Madison and Felix Ungar. The play found enduring success and inspired subsequent film and television adaptations. It was nominated for a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award in 1965.Many of Simon’s plays are influenced by his own upbringing. Simon was born in the Bronx and grew up... Read The Odd Couple Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Femininity
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Realistic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Depression / Suicide, Disability, Grief / Death, Class
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past
Tags Southern Gothic, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), American Literature, Southern Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Eudora Welty’s novel The Optimist’s Daughter was published in 1972 and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction the following year. Welty, who was born in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1906, originally wrote the The Optimist’s Daughter as a short story for The New Yorker, in which it was published in 1969. Welty is widely known as a Southern writer because her fiction is derived from the politics, people, and culture of the American South. Before becoming... Read The Optimist's Daughter Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past
Tags Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Asian Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories is a collection of 15 short stories from the award-winning science fiction author, Ken Liu. The collection includes tales of magical realism, futuristic technology, historical fiction, and gritty noir. Simon and Schuster published the book in 2016.Through these narratives, which often switch back from past to present or from story to book excerpts or legends, Liu invokes several diverse worlds with many Asian protagonists. In his stories, he references... Read The Paper Menagerie Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World