Truth & Lies

Whether exploring the consequences of concealing the truth or excavating the mysterious nature of truth itself, the titles in this collection discuss the intersections among honesty, factualness, legitimacy, deception, falsehood, and lies.

In Pieces

by Sally Field

Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Joy, Love, Mental Health, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Art, Beauty, Fame, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism

... Read In Pieces Summary

In the Shadow of War

by Ben Okri

Publication year 1983

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, History: African

“In the Shadow of War,” a fictional short story by Nigerian author Ben Okri, was first published in the London magazine West Africa in 1983. Five years later, Okri included a revised version in his collection Stars of the New Curfew, which has been out of print since 2004. This anthology marked a point in Okri’s career during which he began to incorporate more magical and fantastical elements into his otherwise realist writing. Okri was... Read In the Shadow of War Summary

Into the Water

by Paula Hawkins

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

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

Nel Abbott’s death precipitates her sister, Jules, coming back to Beckford. Everyone in the town has strong feelings about Nel’s death, with some, like her daughter Lena, deeply upset and others glad to see her gone. Jules meets Lena, who insists she knows what has happened to Nel. Lena is also upset over the recent death of her best friend, Katie, who died, like Nel, in a local pool of water called the Drowning Pool... Read Into the Water Summary

Inventing Elliot

by Graham Gardner

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Fear, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Bullying, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

Inventing Elliot, by British author Graham Gardner, is set in England in a fictional high school, Holminster High. First published in 2003, Inventing Elliot is Gardner’s debut novel. He was inspired by The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier, a realistic book about a boy going against the system in a private Catholic school, and George Orwell’s book 1984, a dystopian social science fiction novel that explores the horror of violence and totalitarianism. Garner was also... Read Inventing Elliot Summary

Invisible Girl

by Lisa Jewell

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Masculinity, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Justice, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

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

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Iqbal

by Francesco D'Adamo

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Childhood & Youth, Truth & Lies, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Poverty, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Arts & Culture

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J'Accuse

by Émile Zola

Publication year 1898

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Nation, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Politics & Government, European History, Journalism, French Literature, Sociology, World History, Classic Fiction

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Jackaby

by William Ritter

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Community, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, World History, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief & Death

Jackaby is a 2014 young adult fantasy novel by William Ritter. It is the first in a series by the same name and follows paranormal investigator R. F. Jackaby, and his new assistant Abigail Rook, as they investigate a series of supernatural murders. The novel draws on a range of world mythologies and classic detective fiction like Sherlock Holmes, Inspector Dupin, and the works of Raymond Chandler.Plot SummaryIn 1892, a young Englishwoman named Abigail Rook... Read Jackaby Summary

Jesus and John Wayne

by Kristin Kobes Du Mez

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Nostalgia, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, Family, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

... Read Jesus and John Wayne Summary

July's People

by Nadine Gordimer

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Race, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Military & War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary

Just Listen

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Family

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Music, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen is a contemporary YA coming-of-age novel published in 2006. The story follows protagonist Annabel Greene, a 16-year-old model who is isolated at school due to a secret trauma that ended her friendship with Sophie. While Annabel tries to forget the past, her older sister, Whitney, deals with anorexia and bulimia. Her eating disorder weighs down the family, and Annabel can’t add another burden on them. When Annabel meets Owen, a... Read Just Listen Summary