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.

Bluebird, Bluebird

by Attica Locke

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community, Safety & Danger, Family, Hate & Anger, Music, Race, Mothers, Food, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Equality, Marriage, Grief, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Race & Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Bluebird, Bluebird (2017) by Texas native Attica Locke, published by Little, Brown and Company, is a 2018 Edgar and Anthony award-winning mystery novel. It was also selected as a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Kirkus Best Mysteries and Thrillers of 2017. The first in the Highway 59 series follows Texas Ranger Darren Mathews through the backroads of Texas in search of justice and reform... Read Bluebird, Bluebird Summary

Bomb

by Steve Sheinkin

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Guilt

Tags World History, Military & War, Children`s Literature, World War II, Science & Nature

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Born to Run

by Bruce Springsteen

Publication year 2016

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Joy, Memory, Love, Coming of Age, Midlife, Childhood & Youth, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Art, Fame, Justice, Music, Equality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Music, Arts & Culture, Mental Illness, Social Justice, US History, Biography

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Bound For Oregon

by Jean Van Leeuwen

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Indigenous Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Environment, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Nation, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, US History, World History, Historical Fiction

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Bowling Alone

by Robert D. Putnam

Publication year 2000

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Trust & Doubt, Politics & Government

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Social Science, World History, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts & Culture

In Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert D. Putnam chronicles the decline of civic engagement and social connectedness in the late 20th-century United States and highlights the importance of renewing these forms of social capital for the sake of individual, societal, and democratic health. Putnam, a political science professor and former dean, has the expertise to contribute this work to the academic literature in social science. Originally published in 2000, the... Read Bowling Alone Summary

Brain Damage

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Midlife, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

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Breathing Underwater

by Alex Flinn

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Guilt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse

Breathing Underwater is a 2001 young adult novel by author Alex Flinn that tells the story of Nick Andreas, a wealthy teenage boy who struggles with his abusive father and abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin. When she files a restraining order and he must take a court-ordered family violence class, Nick begins to reevaluate his behavior and troubled past. As Nick is forced to face his emotional damage, he learns that change and growth are possible. Flinn’s... Read Breathing Underwater Summary

Brian's Return

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Animals, Perseverance, Safety & Danger, Beauty, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Science & Nature, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Classic Fiction

Brian's Return (1999) is a young adult fiction novel and the fourth book in author Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet series. Paulsen draws on his personal experiences from the wilderness to create Brian’s outdoor adventure and survival narrative throughout the series, stating in the author note, “Virtually all that happens to Brian in these books has happened to me at some point in my life” (112). Paulsen was awarded the Newberry Honor in 1988 for Hatchet, the first... Read Brian's Return Summary

Bully

by Penelope Douglas

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Coming of Age, The Past, Fathers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Bullying, New Adult

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Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery

by Deborah Howe, James Howe

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Fear, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Children`s Literature, Relationships

James and Deborah Howe’s 1979 children’s novel Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery is the first book in a series of seven. The novel was written by the husband-and-wife duo, but Deborah Howe died before their work was published. Bunnicula has been adapted for the stage and turned into various animated series.Plot SummaryBunnicula follows the Monroe family, which consists of Mr. and Mrs. Monroe, their two sons Pete and Toby, Chester the cat, and Harold... Read Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery Summary

Butcher's Crossing

by John Edward Williams

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Western, American Literature, Historical Fiction

Published in 1960, Butcher’s Crossing is a revisionist Western novel by American author John Williams. The book follows a young Harvard dropout who ventures into the Kansas wilderness in the 1870s on a buffalo-hunting expedition, confronting the brutal realities of the American frontier and the destruction of the natural world. The novel explores themes that include The Deconstruction of the American Frontier Myth, Human Arrogance Versus Nature’s Indifference, and Disillusionment and the Loss of Idealism.Williams... Read Butcher's Crossing Summary

Candide

by Voltaire

Publication year 1759

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Satirical Literature, Philosophy, Science & Nature, French Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Humor, Classic Fiction

Candide, or Optimism was first published in 1759 by the French writer Voltaire (born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694, died in 1778). The most famous and widely read work published by Voltaire, Candide is a satire that critiques contemporary philosophy, and specifically Leibnizian optimism, which posited the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds. Along with other French contemporaries, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Montesquieu, Voltaire published at the height of the French... Read Candide Summary

Captive Prince

by C. S. Pacat

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Romance

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Cat's Cradle

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Publication year 1963

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Art, Death

Tags Satirical Literature, Science Fiction, Postmodernism, Humor, American Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Cat’s Cradle is a satirical science fiction novel by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1963. The novel, which explores themes related to science, technology, and religion against the backdrop of the Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, won critical acclaim for Vonnegut and was nominated for a Hugo Award. This guide refers to the 2010 Dial Trade Press edition.Content Warning: This guide references death by suicide and sexual assault found... Read Cat's Cradle Summary

Caught Up

by Navessa Allen

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, The Past, Family, Politics & Government, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance

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Christine

by Stephen King

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Femininity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction

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City Spies

by James Ponti

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Joy, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Justice, Art, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Teamwork, Family, Climate, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Self Discovery, Community, Wins & Losses, Friendship, Place, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

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Clock Dance

by Anne Tyler

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Family, Trust & Doubt, Community, Mothers, Marriage, Conflict, Gratitude, Love

Tags Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Parenting, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Clock Dance (2018) is Anne Tyler’s 22nd domestic literary fiction novel that explores the smaller details of the human condition. Clock Dance, which spans time periods from 1967 to 2017, follows Willa, a woman who’s always made herself useful to those around her without any regard for her own needs. Through Willa’s life, Clock Dance explores themes of self-fulfillment, appreciation, passivity, and community to show how people do (or don’t) change throughout time. This novel... Read Clock Dance Summary