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 Road of Bones

by Demi Winters

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read The Road of Bones Summary

The Ruins of Gorlan

by John Flanagan

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Fame, Revenge, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Education, Animals, Fear, Good & Evil, War, Fathers, Perseverance, Conflict, Wins & Losses, Nation, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Action & Adventure, Social Class

In The Ruins of Gorlan, a Medieval adventure-fantasy novel for middle-grade readers, young Will learns the arts of the secretive Ranger tracker-warriors and defends his kingdom against an evil baron. Released in 2004 by author John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan won multiple awards, spawned the bestselling Ranger Apprentice book series, and has been published in 18 countries. A television adaptation is in the works.Following a long career in advertising, author Flanagan shifted to book... Read The Ruins of Gorlan Summary

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Publication year 1850

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, The Past

Tags Classic Fiction, Romanticism, Symbolic Narrative, American Literature, Colonial America, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction

The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 novel by writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. The work, Hawthorne’s first full-length novel, is a classic of the American Romantic era. More specifically, its treatment of topics like sin, insanity, and the occult make it a work of Dark Romanticism—a movement related to the Gothic genre that includes works by Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville. The Scarlet Letter is also a piece of historical fiction; it is set in the... Read The Scarlet Letter Summary

The Sea, the Sea

by Iris Murdoch

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Aging, The Past

Tags British Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Relationships

Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea (1978) is a novel of obsession, memory, and self-deception, narrated in diary form by Charles Arrowby, a retired theatre director who has retired and left London for an isolated house on the English coast. Set chiefly along an unnamed northern shoreline, the book takes the form of a memoir-turned-novel that its narrator drafts as events overtake him. The novel explores themes including The Nostalgic Power of First Love, Jealousy... Read The Sea, the Sea Summary

The Secret Hours

by Mick Herron

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, Memory, Conflict, The Past, Politics & Government, Order & Chaos

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, European History, Cold War

Mick Herron’s 2023 spy thriller, The Secret Hours, is a standalone origin story within his acclaimed Slough House universe. The novel unfolds along two timelines connected by a decades-old conspiracy. In the present, a politically motivated government inquiry into the British secret service is paralyzed by bureaucratic infighting until a mysterious file from 1994 Berlin is anonymously leaked. The file’s contents trigger a violent manhunt for a long-retired asset living in rural England, forcing him... Read The Secret Hours Summary

The Sentence

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Death, Future, The Past, Perseverance, Love, Good & Evil, Justice, Community, Family, Friendship

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Social Justice, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Sentence Summary

The Septembers Of Shiraz

by Dalia Sofer

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Art, The Past, Fear, Nation, Nostalgia

Tags Historical Fiction, World History, Arts & Culture, Middle Eastern Literature, Realistic Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Incarceration, Middle Eastern History, Trauma & Abuse, Politics & Government, Jewish Literature

The Septembers of Shiraz (2007), a novel by Iranian writer Dalia Sofer, recounts the experiences of the Amins, an Iranian Jewish family, during the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s. The book is closely based on Sofer’s family history: When Sofer was 10, her family fled Iran, crossing the border to Turkey with the help of smugglers. The Septembers of Shiraz depicts the changing atmosphere and events that characterize the treatment of the wealthy class... Read The Septembers Of Shiraz Summary

These Summer Storms

by Sarah MacLean

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance

... Read These Summer Storms Summary

The Seven Rings

by Nora Roberts

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Memory, Death, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Romance

... Read The Seven Rings Summary

The Shards

by Bret Easton Ellis

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Hate & Anger, Coming of Age, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

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

... Read The Shards Summary

The Shoemaker's Wife

by Adriana Trigiani

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Joy, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Place, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Immigration, Politics & Government, War, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance

... Read The Shoemaker's Wife Summary

The Sicilian Inheritance

by Jo Piazza

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

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

... Read The Sicilian Inheritance Summary