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.

The Age of Innocence

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Family, The Past, Love, Gender Identity, Midlife

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Social Class, Love & Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender & Feminism, World History, Romance

American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary

The Alloy of Law

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, The Past, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

... Read The Alloy of Law Summary

The Antidote

by Karen Russell

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Perseverance, Grief, Regret, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Race, Coming of Age, The Past, Climate, Environment, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

Competitor... Read The Antidote Summary

The Apothecary

by Maile Meloy

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Objects & Materials, Place

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure

Maile Meloy’s 2011 New York Times bestseller The Apothecary is the first in her young adult trilogy, which also includes The Apprentices (2014) and The After-Room (2017). This novel merges the genres of historical fiction and magical realism, and it was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2011. In 2012, The Apothecary also won the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and the California Book Awards YA Gold Medal. Set in London after... Read The Apothecary Summary

The Armor of Light

by Ken Follett

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Love, Justice, War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Industrial Revolution

... Read The Armor of Light Summary

The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Fear, Hate & Anger, The Past, Art, Language

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

... Read The Artist's Way Summary

The Art of Happiness

by Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Regret, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Asian History

In 1998, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler released The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Combining spiritual teachings and clinical framing, the book has become an example of where popular psychology, applied ethics, and secular spirituality converge. The book targets a broad audience seeking practical ways to decrease suffering, enhance interpersonal connections, and develop a more stable, compassionate mindset—regardless of whether they have a religious affiliation.A collaborative project... Read The Art of Happiness Summary

The Aspern Papers

by Henry James

Publication year 1888

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Gender Identity, The Past, Art, Beauty, Fame

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Realism, Italian Literature, American Literature, World History

The Aspern Papers by Henry James is a novella first published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888. The unnamed protagonist and narrator is an editor and obsessive fan of fictional poet Jeffrey Aspern, who is no longer living. Having heard that a former romantic partner of Aspern’s, Juliana Bordereau, and her niece, Tita Bordereau (renamed Tina in later editions), are in possession a collection of papers related to the poet, the narrator rents rooms in... Read The Aspern Papers Summary

The Atlas Paradox

by Olivie Blake

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Friendship, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fate, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science & Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy

... Read The Atlas Paradox Summary

The Battle of Blenheim

by Robert Southey

Publication year 1798

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Memory, Aging, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Place, Grandparents, War

Tags Narrative Poem, Military & War, European History

“The Battle of Blenheim,” also known as “After Blenheim,” is a satirical, antiwar poem by English Romantic poet Robert Southey, written in 1798 and published in the Morning Post newspaper on August 9 of that year. The poem, which is in the form of a ballad, looks back at the Battle of Blenheim, which was fought around the Bavarian town of Blindheim, in southern Germany, on August 2, 1704, during the War of the Spanish... Read The Battle of Blenheim Summary

The Bear and the Nightingale

by Katherine Arden

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Femininity, Coming of Age, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Family, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Coming of Age

The Bear and the Nightingale (2017) is a historical fantasy novel by Katherine Arden. The story is set in medieval Russia and was heavily inspired by the country’s folklore and history. It follows Vasilisa “Vasya” Petrovna, a girl who lives in an isolated village at the edge of a forest and can communicate with household spirits and other supernatural beings that others cannot see. Her life is upended when her father marries a pious woman... Read The Bear and the Nightingale Summary

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears

by Dinaw Mengestu

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Race, The Past

Tags Realistic Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, History: African , African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Dinaw Mengestu’s 2007 debut novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, is a NYT Notable Book, a recipient of the Guardian First Book Award, and the LA Times Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction. Originally published in the UK under the title Children of the Revolution, the story takes place across three days in the life of Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian refugee living in Washington, DC. In his New York Times review of the book... Read The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears Summary

The Berry Pickers

by Amanda Peters

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Indigenous Identity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Death, The Past, Mothers, Siblings, Globalization, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Canadian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read The Berry Pickers Summary

The Blind Owl

by Sadegh Hedayat

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Art, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

... Read The Blind Owl Summary

The Bookbinder's Secret

by A. D. Bell

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

A. D. Bell’s The Bookbinder’s Secret is a dual-timeline historical mystery set in England in 1901. The novel follows Lilian Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder whose curiosity about a damaged book pulls her into a 50-year-old scandal involving forced marriage, a hidden child, and a contested inheritance. Across both timelines, Bell develops themes such as The Cost of Obsession, Women Confined by Gendered Exploitation, and Truth-Seeking Through Attention to Detail. Published by St. Martin’s Press in... Read The Bookbinder's Secret Summary