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 Viscount Who Loved Me

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Friendship, Fate, Siblings, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Childhood & Youth, Love, Literature, Mothers, The Past, Family, Future, Appearance & Reality, Equality, Beauty, Self Discovery, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Loneliness, Conflict, Masculinity, Trust & Doubt, Grief, Femininity, Fathers, Nostalgia, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride

Tags World History, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction

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The White Album

by Joan Didion

Publication year 1979

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes The Past, Self Discovery, Literature, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags US History, Journalism, Politics & Government, Arts & Culture, Social Class, Women`s Studies, Trauma & Abuse, Grief & Death, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction, Biography

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The Winter Of Our Discontent

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, The Past, Race, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Finance, American Literature, World History

The Winter of Our Discontent is the final novel of American author John Steinbeck (1902-1968). Published in 1961, the themes reflect Steinbeck’s concern with the degradation of American culture and morality. In some ways, the novel departs from Steinbeck’s more iconic novels, which include East of Eden (1952), The Grapes of Wrath (1939), and Of Mice and Men (1937). Steinbeck takes the novel’s title from a line in William Shakespeare’s play Richard III (1597).The critical... Read The Winter Of Our Discontent Summary

The Winter Room

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Memory, Language, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Siblings, Immigration

Tags Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Historical Nonfiction

The Winter Room is a 1989 young adult novel by American author Gary Paulsen. The story follows 11-year-old Eldon, who lives on a northern Minnesota farm with his family. The narrative explores Eldon’s relationship with his older brother, Wayne, and their connection to their great-uncle David. The boys grow up working on the farm all year and listening to Uncle David’s stories during the winter. The novel received the Newbery Medal Honor in 1989. Gary Paulsen... Read The Winter Room Summary

The Wisdom of Crowds

by James Surowiecki

Publication year 2004

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Language, Mental Health, The Past, Teamwork, Community, Economics, Education, Politics & Government, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology

Tags Business & Economics, Psychology, Sociology, Science & Nature, Politics & Government

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The Witch Collector

by Charissa Weaks

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Language, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy

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The Witching Hour

by Anne Rice

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, The Past, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature

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The Woman in Black

by Susan Hill

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, The Past, Revenge, Trust & Doubt, Mothers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Grief & Death

The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill follows the gothic literary tradition. Hill explores traditional horror tropes, such as abandoned estates and ghost hauntings, set in an unspecified time in England’s countryside. The horror novella focuses on the first-person point-of-view of Arthur Kipps as he reflects on a ghost haunting he experienced as a young man. Hill explores themes of loss and mourning, the impact of holding onto the past, and the clash between... Read The Woman in Black Summary

The Woman in Suite 11

by Ruth Ware

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Woman in the Window

by A.J. Finn

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes The Past, Mental Health, Grief

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

The Woman in the Window, a psychological thriller published in 2018 by William Morrow. The novel was written by A.J. Finn, which is the pen name of American book editor and novelist, Dan Mallory. The novel tells the story from the first-person point of view of an unreliable female narrator, Dr. Anna Fox. The reader learns about Fox’s alcoholism, her agoraphobia, and the traumatizing events of her past, all of which take place in present-day... Read The Woman in the Window Summary

The Woods

by Harlan Coben

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Future, The Past, Family, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense

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The Wordy Shipmates

by Sarah Vowell

Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes The Past, Colonialism

Tags US History, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, American Literature, World History, Humor

Essayist and commentator Sarah Vowell published her historical and social commentary The Wordy Shipmates in 2008. A humorous but seriously critical examination of the Puritan emigrants that traveled with the flagship Arbella from England to Massachusetts in 1630, the book revisits leading Puritan figures and the colonial events and ideologies they created while trying to establish the “city upon a hill” that defined their Christian mission in, what was to them, a New World.Though colonial... Read The Wordy Shipmates Summary