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.

Cymbeline

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1623

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Love, Regret, Femininity, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Nation, War, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Comedy & Satire, Romance

Cymbeline is a play by William Shakespeare. Its first recorded performance was in 1611, and it was published in the First Folio in 1623. Some scholars have posited that sections may have been written collaboratively. The play is loosely inspired by accounts of the historical British king Cunobeline, but also draws on other sources. It has never been considered a history play, reflecting the looseness of this connection.Cymbeline is king of ancient Britain. His sons... Read Cymbeline Summary

Darling Girls

by Sally Hepworth

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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

... Read Darling Girls Summary

Dead Lions

by Mick Herron

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Grandparents, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense

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Dead Mountain

by Donnie Eichar

Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Memory, Language, Death, The Past, Climate, Environment, Place, Teamwork, Nation, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Russian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography, European History, Crime & Law, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature

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Death Comes for the Archbishop

by Willa Cather

Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, American Literature, Religion & Spirituality, World History, Classic Fiction

Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) is a novel by American author Willa Cather. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Priests Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf as they sought to establish a Catholic diocese (an ecclesiastical district under the control of one particular bishop) in the newly acquired territory of New Mexico.A major figure in American literature, Cather is best known for the novels O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the... Read Death Comes for the Archbishop Summary

Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Aging, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

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

... Read Death in Her Hands Summary

Digging

by Seamus Heaney

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Family, Fathers, Education, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Perseverance, Love, Nostalgia

Tags Relationships, Agriculture, Lyric Poem, Education, Education

... Read Digging Summary

Direbound

by Sable Sorensen

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

... Read Direbound Summary

Disclaimer

by Renée Knight

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Mothers, Justice, Truth & Lies

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

... Read Disclaimer Summary

Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Good & Evil, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Order & Chaos, Community, Power & Greed, Self Discovery, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Mental Health

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

Doctor Sleep is a 2013 horror novel by Stephen King. It is a sequel to the events that occurred in King’s popular novel The Shining and features the return of Danny Torrance. Decades after the horrors at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance must now reckon with the renewed threat of the spirits. When the novel begins, the dead woman from the Overlook’s Room 217 has returned and threatens Danny in his bathroom. King uses this... Read Doctor Sleep Summary

Down the Drain

by Julia Fox

Publication year 2023

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Fame, The Past, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Arts & Culture, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Gender & Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Biography

... Read Down the Drain Summary

Dragonfly in Amber

by Diana Gabaldon

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Perseverance, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Nostalgia, Memory, Hope, Masculinity, Gender Identity, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Future, Place, Marriage, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, European History, Health, World History

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Dreamland

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Loneliness, Apathy, Love, Memory, Hope, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Siblings, Friendship, Fathers, Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Beauty, Art, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

In Dreamland, a young adult novel by Sarah Dessen, a teenage girl named Caitlin O’Koren reacts to the disappearance of her sister by breaking away from the path that was set out for her. The novel is broken into three parts that focus on the core of the conflicts in each section. Part I, “Cass,” traces the O’Koren family after Cass, the eldest of two daughters, runs away instead of attending Yale. Part II, entitled... Read Dreamland Summary

Drive

by Kate Stewart

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Language, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Midlife, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Art, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, New Adult, Music

... Read Drive Summary