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.

Plain Truth

by Jodi Picoult

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Guilt, Mothers, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction

Jodi Picoult’s legal and psychological drama, Plain Truth (2000), plunges into the insulated world of the Old Order Amish in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. When a newborn baby is found dead in a barn, circumstantial evidence points to Katie Fisher, an unmarried 18-year-old Amish woman, as the mother and murderer. A disillusioned Philadelphia defense attorney, Ellie Hathaway, takes the case, driven by a distant family connection and a burgeoning personal crisis. To satisfy bail conditions, Ellie... Read Plain Truth Summary

Portrait of a Lady

by T. S. Eliot

Publication year 1915

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Truth & Lies, Music, Coming of Age, Midlife

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Narrative Poem, Modernism, British Literature, American Literature, Relationships, Love & Sexuality, Social Class, Classic Fiction

... Read Portrait of a Lady Summary

Post Office

by Charles Bukowski

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Fate, Justice, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Classic Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Humor, American Literature, The Beat Generation

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Prep

by Curtis Sittenfeld

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Femininity, Social Class, Gender Identity, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Friendship, Loneliness

Tags Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Prep Summary

Presumed Innocent

by Scott Turow

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Justice, Conflict, Forgiveness, Guilt, Revenge, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Midlife, The Past, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Politics & Government

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

Presumed Innocent (1987) is Scott Turow’s first novel, originally published by Farrar Straus & Giroux. The hit novel stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks and is often credited as an early example of the modern legal thriller, helping to shape the genre’s conventions. Turow went on to publish 12 additional novels and three nonfiction works. He also continued to practice law, specializing in criminal defense, contrasting with Presumed Innocent’s protagonist... Read Presumed Innocent Summary

Pretty Little Liars

by Sara Shepard

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Community, Safety & Danger, Revenge, Memory, Guilt, The Past, Shame & Pride, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Grief, Coming of Age, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Horror & Suspense

Pretty Little Liars is a young adult fiction novel written by Sara Shepard. It is the first book in the Pretty Little Liars series, which features 16 books, along with seven companion novels. The highly successful series was featured on The New York Times best-seller list and adapted into a television show in 2010. The popular show lasted seven seasons and aired on the Freeform Network. Although Shepard had only written eight books in the... Read Pretty Little Liars Summary

Prometheus Bound

by Aeschylus

Publication year 456

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Conflict, Truth & Lies

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Prometheus Bound is a Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus. The play, whose authorship and date are disputed, dramatizes the story of the Titan Prometheus and his defiance of Zeus, the new ruler of the gods. After Prometheus steals fire from the gods and gives it to humanity, Zeus punishes Prometheus by chaining him to a remote mountain to suffer eternal torment. The play explores the themes of The Conflict Between Power and Justice, The... Read Prometheus Bound Summary

Promise Boys

by Nick Brooks

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Race & Racism

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Promises to Keep

by Sharon Robinson

Publication year 2004

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hope, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Justice, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Biography, African American Literature, Sports, US History

... Read Promises to Keep Summary

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife

by Eben Alexander

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Love, Memory, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Space, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fate, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Health, Science & Nature, Biography

Dr. Eben Alexander’s 2012 memoir, Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, documents his near-death experience (NDE) while in a coma resulting from a rare bacterial infection. As an academic neurosurgeon with a materialist worldview, Alexander did not believe in an afterlife. The book details how his NDE forced him to reconcile his scientific training with what he now considered proof of a reality beyond the physical world. The memoir explores several themes:... Read Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife Summary

Protagoras

by Plato

Publication year 390

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Truth & Lies, Politics & Government, Good & Evil

Tags Philosophy, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Philosophy, World History, Classical Period, Classic Fiction

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Purgatorio

by Dante Alighieri

Publication year 1316

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Italian Literature, Medieval, Christian

Purgatorio is the second of three poems that make up The Divine Comedy by Florentine statesman, poet, and philosopher Dante. In The Divine Comedy, Dante travels first through Hell (the poem Inferno), then through Purgatory (the poem Purgatorio), and finally through Heaven (the poem Paradiso). Purgatorio follows Dante on his journey from the shores of Purgatory, through the seven levels where penitents atone for the seven deadly sins, and into the Garden of Eden. The... Read Purgatorio Summary

Race

by Elizabeth Alexander

Publication year 2001

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Equality, Race, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Shame & Pride, Nation, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger

Tags Narrative Poem, Race & Racism

... Read Race Summary

Real Tigers

by Mick Herron

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Espionage, British Literature

... Read Real Tigers Summary