"The art of losing isn't hard to master," wrote poet Elizabeth Bishop. Perhaps she meant that we will all face loss at some point in our lives. In this collection, we have brought together texts that take up the universal experience of grief.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals
Tags Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Grief / Death
Publication year 1329
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Skippy Dies, published in 2010, is a tragicomic novel by Irish author Paul Murray. Murray originally wrote the novel as a short story before expanding it into a longform work of fiction, basing the Catholic boarding school where the book is set on the prestigious secondary school the author attended in Dublin.The novel was nominated for the longlists and shortlists of several distinguished awards, including the Booker Prize, the Irish Novel of the Year, and... Read Skippy Dies Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, New Adult
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2013
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Science / Nature, Humor, Grief / Death, Biography
Publication year 1937
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Environment
Tags Classic Fiction, Japanese Literature, Romance, Asian Literature, History: World
Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata was originally published episodically in Japanese literary journals between 1935 and 1937. It was finally published as a complete version in 1948. The novel takes place on the snowy northwestern coast of Japan and tells the story of the ill-fated romance between a geisha named Komako and her wealthy client, Shimamura. In the intimate setting of the onsen, Kawabata explores the Commodification of Female Talent and Affection, Landscapes as Metaphors... Read Snow Country Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Romance
Best-selling author Kristina McMorris’s historical fiction novel Sold on a Monday (2018) is inspired by a real life event: A photograph published in a 1948 magazine of four siblings standing on their apartment steps with their mother (who is trying to hide her face from the photographer), and a sign advertising the children for sale in the foreground. The overarching theme of the novel is how one person’s poor decision can have many unexpected, and... Read Sold on a Monday Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1921
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Elizabethan Era, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Disability, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature
Sounder is a 1969 book for young readers by American author William H. Armstrong. In the novel, a young boy grows up in a Black sharecropping family on a sprawling plantation in the 19th-century in the American South, where he lives with his parents, his siblings, and his faithful dog, Sounder. Bored and lonely, the boy dreams of returning to school and learning to read, and he copes with his life of obligation by hunting... Read Sounder Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1968
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction