Trust & Doubt

Believing in people, institutions, or the spiritual world requires an act of trust. What happens when that trust is shaken, either by our own wavering commitments or an act of betrayal? Can trust ever be regained once it is lost? These are some of the ideas explored in this thematic collection.

Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Fear, Apathy, Memory, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Environment, Plants, Food, Community, Economics, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Literature, Art, Music, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Friendship, Grandparents, Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Great Depression, Animals, Realistic Fiction, World History

Turtle in Paradise is a 2010 historical fiction children’s novel by Jennifer L. Holm. Set in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression, the novel follows an 11-year-old girl’s struggles and successes as she visits her aunt and cousins in the town where her mother grew up. The novel won the Golden Kite Award and is a Newbery Honor Book as well as a Junior Library Guild selection. Other works by this author include The... Read Turtle in Paradise Summary

Twisted Hate

by Ana Huang

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Beauty, Self Discovery, Friendship, Family, Appearance & Reality, Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health

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Two or Three Things I Know for Sure

by Dorothy Allison

Publication year 1995

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Family, Gender Identity, Femininity, Masculinity, Race, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Trauma & Abuse, Women`s Studies, Love & Sexuality, Biography

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure is a 1995 memoir by American author and activist Dorothy Allison, a native of Greenville, South Carolina. A coming-of-age story that examines feminism and lesbian identity in the context of the patriarchal norms of the South, the book uses both narrative and photographs to tell the stories of the women in Allison’s family and their complex relationships with the men who both loved and abused them. Her... Read Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Summary

Typee

by Herman Melville

Publication year 1846

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Place, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, World History

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Untamed

by Glennon Doyle (Melton)

Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Femininity, Trust & Doubt

Tags Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Women`s Studies, Self-Improvement, Biography

Published in 2020, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed is her third memoir. An accomplished writer, philanthropist, and activist, Doyle documents her lifelong journey of self-discovery and uses personal experiences to encourage women on their own respective journeys towards freedom. Through the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and race, Doyle unpacks the social conditioning that affects the lives of all humans, particularly women. Ultimately, Doyle offers a reflective guide to navigating life by looking internally and honoring one’s... Read Untamed Summary

V.

by Thomas Pynchon

Publication year 1963

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Apathy, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Disability, The Past, Future, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Fathers, Colonialism, War, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags American Literature, Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Addiction & Substance Abuse, European History, US History, Military & War, Crime & Law, Postmodernism, Post-War Era

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Vietgone

by Qui Nguyen

Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Regret, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Drama, Comedy & Satire, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor

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Ward D

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Fear, Truth & Lies, Guilt, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Friendship

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Mental Illness

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Washington Square

by Henry James

Publication year 1880

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Trust & Doubt

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, World History, Romance

Washington Square is a novel by American author Henry James published in 1880. It is a novel of manners, which turns on individual choices amidst social constraints and expectations, a style typical of James. The novel focuses on the romance between Catherine Sloper, a wealthy young woman in line to inherit even more from her father, and Morris Townsend, a handsome, charming suitor who lacks money and a profession. Catherine’s relationship with her father, Dr... Read Washington Square Summary

Watching You

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Internet & Social Media, Modern Classic Fiction

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Water Moon

by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Regret, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Weedflower

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Coming of Age, Justice, Race, Shame & Pride, Loneliness, Family, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Equality, Fear, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History, Japanese Literature, Arts & Culture, World War II, Coming of Age

Weedflower, Cynthia Kadohata’s 2006 historical fiction young adult novel, tells the story of 12-year-old Japanese American Sumiko amid Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and the US government’s ensuing involvement in World War II. Kadohata depicts the conditions of Japanese internment camps from Sumiko’s perspective, providing unique insight and education on the racism that Japanese Americans faced and the US government’s poor decisions.This guide references the 2009 paperback reprint edition from Atheneum Books for Young Readers.Plot... Read Weedflower Summary

We Used to Live Here

by Marcus Kliewer

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Fate, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, LGBTQ+, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense

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We Were the Mulvaneys

by Joyce Carol Oates

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Trust & Doubt

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

We Were the Mulvaneys is a novel by American writer Joyce Carol Oates, originally published in the US in 1996. Set largely in the rural Northeastern United States in the 1970s, this story deals with the myth of the ideal American family and the ruinous effects it can have when real-life events threaten the appearance of familial unity. After having been featured as an Oprah Book Club selection in January 2001, the novel became a... Read We Were the Mulvaneys Summary

What Comes After

by JoAnne Tompkins

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

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What Moves the Dead

by T. Kingfisher

Publication year 2022

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Gender Identity, Death, Plants, Place, Social Class, War, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read What Moves the Dead Summary