Aging

"Nature abhors the old," said Ralph Waldo Emerson, and yet poet John Donne wrote, "No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace / As I have seen in one Autumnal face." So, is aging a gift—or a curse? In this thematic collection, we present texts that reflect on this question.

Publication year 1962Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: AgingTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Publication year 1974Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Education, Education, History: World, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1926Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Ernest Hemingway’s short story “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” was first published in Scribner’s Magazine in March of 1933. It was then anthologized in Hemingway’s 1933 short story collection Winner Takes Nothing. It is regarded as one of his most important and influential short stories and as a clear example of his “Iceberg Theory” and his focus on typical Modernist existential themes. Utilizing the Iceberg Theory, Hemingway allows most of the story to sit below the... Read A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & DoubtTags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction

Publication year 1991Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: FathersTags Lyric Poem, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Parenting, American Literature

Among Peter Meinke’s most anthologized poems, “Advice to My Son” is best known for its humorous, ironic tone and contemporary interpretation of traditional rhyme structure. First published in 1964 in The Antioch Review, the poem was anthologized in the volume Liquid Paper: New and Selected Poems (1991), published by the Pittsburgh Press. According to Meinke, he had little idea that the poem would so deeply resonate with readers when he first wrote it as a... Read Advice to My Son Summary


Publication year 1961Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Birth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: EconomicsTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, Depression / Suicide, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

A House for Mr. Biswas is a 1961 historical fiction novel by V. S. Naipaul. The story takes a postcolonial perspective of the life of a Hindu Indian man in British-owned and occupied Trinidad. Now regarded as one of Naipaul's most significant novels, A House for Mr. Biswas has won numerous awards and has been adapted as a musical, a radio drama, and a television show. Naipaul is also known for the works The Mimic... Read A House for Mr. Biswas Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: AgingTags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: FamilyTags Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor

Publication year 1940Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Arts / Culture, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Military / War, Class, Depression / Suicide, Education, Science / Nature, Sports, Technology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The PastTags British Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Publication year 1928Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging

Publication year 2015Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags African Literature, Education, Education, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ

Publication year 1931Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: AgingTags Depression / Suicide, Great Depression, Harlem Renaissance, African American Literature, Poverty, Grief / Death

“A Summer Tragedy” is a short story written by poet and fiction author Arna Bontemps. It was originally published in 1933 in Opportunity and has since been included in multiple anthologies, including Bontemps’s 1973 short story collection The Old South: “A Summer Tragedy” and Other Stories of the Thirties. Bontemps is also known for the 1959 biography Frederick Douglass: Slave, Fighter, Freeman. Focusing on an elderly Black couple who have endured a difficult life of... Read A Summer Tragedy Summary


Publication year 1963Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Lyric Poem, Black Arts Movement

Publication year 1941Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: AgingTags Classic Fiction, Southern Literature, American Literature

“A Visit of Charity” is a short story written by Eudora Welty, the first living writer published in the Library of America series. “A Visit of Charity” is one of 17 short stories in Welty’s 1941 collection A Curtain of Green, which also includes the stories “A Worn Path,” “Petrified Man,” and “Why I Live at the P.O.” The text referenced in this guide is from Eudora Welty: Stories, Essays, and Memoir, published by the... Read A Visit of Charity Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Before I Go to Sleep (2011) is the debut novel of English writer S. J. Watson. This psychological thriller features a protagonist suffering from amnesia. Forty-seven-year-old Christine Lucas wakes every morning with no memory of who or where she is. Each day she must reconstruct her identity with the help of her journal. Christine also gleans information from her husband, Ben, and a neurophysiologist, Dr. Nash. However, the more Christine discovers, the more she doubts... Read Before I Go to Sleep Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: U.S., African American Literature, Gender / Feminism, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1898Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: War, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Historical Fiction, Romance, Politics / Government, Play: Drama, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Graphic Memoir , NonfictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Humor, Grief / Death, Biography

Publication year 1988Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: AgingTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Psychological Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Cat’s Eye is a 1988 coming-of-age novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood that centers on Elaine Risley, a successful painter who is returning to Toronto for a retrospective show of her work. Throughout the novel, she has vivid recollections of her childhood and adolescence in the city during the postwar years—particularly of her friendship with Cordelia, who persecuted her in a way that had an indelible impact on her life. The novel was a finalist... Read Cat's Eye Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1952Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: GratitudeTags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Education, Education, Fantasy

Charlotte’s Web was written by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams, and first published in 1952. It is considered a quintessential American children’s fiction novel and has been adapted into two films (1973, 2006) and a stage musical. Over the years, Charlotte’s Web has been awarded the Newbery Honor Award for children’s books, the George C. Stone Center for Children’s Books Recognition of Merit Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the Massachusetts Children’s... Read Charlotte's Web Summary


Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags African American Literature, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Black Lives Matter, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2010Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief / Death, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Latin American Literature, Surrealism, Arts / Culture

Daytripper is a graphic novel written and illustrated by comic book artists Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. Originally published in 2010 as a comic book series by Vertigo, the collected series was published as a completed book in 2011. Daytripper won the 2011 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. Bá has also worked on popular comic series such as Umbrella Academy and Casanova. Both Moon and Bá are twins, and they sometimes refer to themselves... Read Daytripper Summary


Publication year 1912Genre Novella, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, German Literature, History: World, Education, Education, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Death in Venice (1912) is a novella by celebrated German author Thomas Mann (1875-1955). The story follows Gustav von Aschenbach, a successful but aging writer who travels to Venice seeking inspiration and respite. There, he becomes infatuated with Tadzio, an exceptionally beautiful young boy whose ethereal presence awakens a profound and dangerous longing in Aschenbach. As Venice succumbs to a cholera epidemic, Aschenbach’s obsession leads to his downfall.Mann, the recipient of the 1929 Nobel Prize... Read Death in Venice Summary


Publication year 1605Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: FriendshipTags Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Class, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Renaissance, Religion / Spirituality, Satire

Don Quixote is a novel in two parts by Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes published between 1605 and 1615. The novel portrays the life of a middle-aged Spanish man who decides to become a knight, just like the characters in the works of fiction he loves. Considered to be a foundational work of Western literature and one of the first modern novels, Don Quixote is one of the most translated books of all time. It... Read Don Quixote Summary


Publication year 1979Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death

Publication year 1837Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Values/Ideas: Good & EvilTags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” is a short story about a doctor who invites four elderly friends to his study to participate in a curious experiment that temporarily restores their youth. The story explores themes of Youth and Old Age, Humans Versus Nature, and Good and Evil. It invites questions like: Does age affect an individual’s potential for happiness? If given a second opportunity to relive youthful years, would a person remediate their failures?“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” was... Read Dr. Heidegger's Experiment Summary


Publication year 1940Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Publication year 2019Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: FoodTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: AgingTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Elizabeth Is Missing by British author Emma Healey was published in 2014 and tells the story of Maud Horsham, an old woman suffering from dementia. Maud’s older sister, Sukey, disappeared in the 1940s. Seventy years later, this tragic event continues to haunt Maud, who now thinks her best friend Elizabeth is missing. Maud is desperate to figure out what happened to Sukey and Elizabeth before she loses her ability to piece together the clues. Maud’s... Read Elizabeth is Missing Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: AgingTags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Humor, Animals, Romance, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1985Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Everybody’s Fool is a 2016 novel by American Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Russo. The second in Russo’s North Bath trilogy, Everybody’s Fool is set in the small, eccentric, and troubled town of North Bath, New York. The tragicomic novel follows a group of characters whose dramas unfold over a single Memorial Day Weekend, exploring how individuals react to and rebel against their emotional and moral ties to their communities. The novel also grapples with existential themes... Read Everybody's Fool Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Historical Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1986Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: AgingTags American Literature, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

August Wilson’s play Fences premiered in 1985 at the Yale Repertory Theatre and was published the following year. It opened on Broadway in 1987 with James Earl Jones in the role of Troy. It was the third play to premiere of Wilson’s Century Cycle, although it is the sixth play chronologically. The Century Cycle, also known as the Pittsburgh Cycle, consists of 10 plays, one set in each decade of the 20th century. Each play... Read Fences Summary


Publication year 1945Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: AgingTags Classic Fiction, British Literature

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: FamilyTags Romance, LGBTQ

Publication year 1941Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Lyric Poem, The Lost Generation

Four Quartets is a collection of four poems by T.S. Eliot. The four pieces were originally published between 1934 and 1942, during a period of time in which Eliot’s life was disrupted by the events of World War II. They were then collected into a single volume in 1943. The poems are linked loosely by theme; all of them are about the relationship between people and the divine. At the time of its publication, several of... Read Four Quartets Summary


Publication year 2007Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Asian Literature

Publication year 1987Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Romance, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Humor, Classic Fiction

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a 1987 novel by American author and actress Fanny Flagg, who also wrote an award-winning screen adaption of the book. The narrative contains two interconnected stories that unfold several decades apart. The frame narrative, which takes place in Birmingham, Alabama between December 1985 and December 1986, depicts the developing friendship between a middle-aged housewife named Evelyn Couch and an elderly widow named Ninny Threadgoode. As the... Read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Life/Time: AgingTags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy

Publication year 1981Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: FathersTags Fantasy, Humor, Children's Literature, Magical Realism, British Literature

Publication year 1979Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: EqualityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1991Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & GovernmentTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

Publication year 2009Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Biography

Have a Little Faith: A True Story is a 2009 nonfiction book by American journalist and author Mitch Albom. The book can be classified as an inspirational memoir, as it centers on the author’s interactions with two faith leaders, one Jewish and one Christian, over an eight-year period. In 2011, Have a Little Faith was adapted into a made-for-television film starring Laurence Fishburne, Martin Landau, and Bradley Whitford. This study guide refers to the 2009... Read Have a Little Faith: A True Story Summary


Publication year 2004Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Birth, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: FamilyTags Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Historical Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, History: World, Arts / Culture

Here by Richard McGuire is a graphic novel published on December 4, 2014, by Pantheon Books. The graphic novel focuses on the same corner of a room over billions of years. It depicts the area long before the house is built and long after it falls. By using different visual styles, overlapping panels, and non-chronological narration, McGuire creates a narrative that comments on the nature of time and life. Here is considered a transformative work... Read Here Summary


Publication year 2016Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Published in 2016, Hour of the Bees is a young adult magical realism novel by Lindsay Eagar. Set in contemporary New Mexico, the story follows 12-year-old Carol as she spends the summer on her grandfather’s sheep ranch, helping her family prepare it for sale and helping care for her grandfather, who has dementia. However, her grandfather’s stories of the land’s magic and history cause her to fall in love with it. Hour of the Bees... Read Hour of the Bees Summary


Publication year 1896Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Inspirational, Self Help, Philosophy, Health / Medicine, Japanese Literature

Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Art, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & LoseTags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Magical Realism, Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

I’ll Give You the Sun (2015) is an award-winning novel penned by Jandy Nelson about relationships, art, and destiny. It follows the story of twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine who once shared a close relationship but find themselves barely speaking to each other two years after their mother’s death.Jandy Nelson is an American author who writes young adult fiction. I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, which won numerous awards and honors, including... Read I'll Give You the Sun Summary


Publication year 1938Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Jewish Literature, History: U.S., American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 1939Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: FamilyTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags African American Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Self DiscoveryTags Historical Fiction, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Grief / Death, Transcendentalism, Religion / Spirituality, Classic Fiction

Jayber Crow, published in 2000 by Counterpoint, is one of author Wendell Berry’s 80 novels and is set in the fictional town of Port William on the banks of the Kentucky River. The novel is often classified under transcendentalism, and Berry’s works focus on the agrarian lifestyle he practices in his personal life living and working a farm in rural Kentucky. Many of his novels share what he calls the “Port William membership” and have... Read Jayber Crow Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: AgingTags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk is a 2017 picaresque novel by Kathleen Rooney. The narrative is loosely based on the life of the American writer Margaret Fishback, reputed to be the highest-paid advertising woman in the world in the 1930s, who published well-received poems and short stories from that time until the 1960s. The reflective novel unfolds in the span of a single night—New Year's Eve 1984—and follows 85-year-old Lillian Boxfish as she takes a... Read Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure

Written by American author Christina Henry, Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook is a 2017 dark fantasy retelling of J. M. Barrie’s original play, Peter Pan. Henry has written several dark retellings of fairy tales to date, including Alice, which is based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll; The Girl in Red, which adapts the story of Little Red Riding Hood; and The Mermaid, which based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The... Read Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook Summary


Publication year 1985Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: MarriageTags Classic Fiction, Romance, Post Modernism, Latin American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

Love in the Time of Cholera is a classic work of literary fiction by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. It was published in Spanish in 1985 and translated into English in 1988 by Edith Grossman. The novel was adapted into a film in 2007, which was nominated for several awards including an Oscar and a Golden Globe. Plot SummaryLove in the Time of Cholera is set in... Read Love in the Time of Cholera Summary


Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

Publication year 1818Genre Poem, FictionThemes Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: FemininityTags Lyric Poem, British Literature, Science / Nature

“Meg Merrilies” (sometimes titled “Old Meg she was a gipsy” or simply “old Meg”) is a short, playful ballad by the English Romantic poet John Keats. It was written on Keats’s walking tour of northern England and Scotland in 1818. At the time, Keats was worried about the health of his brother, Tom, and about his own health; the tuberculosis that would soon kill Tom had already begun to manifest in Keats. While his doctor... Read Meg Merrilies Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Gender, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Class, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture

Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2018), a contemporary middle-grade novel by Meg Medina, centers on a young girl facing major changes to her family dynamics. The book won numerous awards, including the 2019 Newbery Medal. Medina, a founding member of the “We Need Diverse Books” movement, has written many picture books, young adult books, and middle-grade novels about strong girls who overcome adversity and step up to challenges.Plot SummaryEleven-year-old Merci Suárez is the child of Cuban... Read Merci Suárez Changes Gears Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1963Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Lyric Poem, Confessional, History: World

Publication year 2016Genre Novel/Book in Verse, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self DiscoveryTags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature

Publication year 1971Genre Novel, FictionThemes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Animals, Technology, Grief / Death, Agriculture, Parenting, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Sociology

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a children’s science fiction novel written in 1971 by Robert C. O’Brien. It tells the story of a field mouse whose son becomes ill as moving day approaches, so she enlists the help of a group of highly intelligent experimental rats for help. Robert C. O’Brien was inspired to write the Rats of NIMH after a visit to the National Institute of Mental Health’s experimental rat compound... Read Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Summary


Publication year 1976Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature

Simon J. Ortiz originally published “My Father’s Song” in his poetry/story collection entitled A Good Journey (1977). Ortiz is a major writer in the Native American Renaissance, a movement which began in the 1960s and marked a significant increase in the production of literary works by Native Americans in the United States. The poem was written at a time when Ortiz was collecting and recounting stories from Indigenous tribes across the United States, and his... Read My Father's Song Summary


Publication year 1807Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: JoyTags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1998Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: AgingTags Play: Drama, Drama / Tragedy, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Mental Illness, Classic Fiction

’Night, Mother by Marsha Norman opened on Broadway in 1983, earning the Tony Award for Best Play and the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play takes place in real time, with no intermission or breaks in the action, to depict the unrelenting emotional exchange between Thelma and her daughter, Jessie, after Jessie announces that she plans to commit suicide. As Jessie sets her affairs in order, Thelma tries unsuccessfully to stop Jessie’s plan from... Read Night, Mother Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: NationTags British Literature, History: World, Travel Literature, Humor, Biography

Publication year 1913Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: AgingTags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, American Literature

Publication year 1807Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: EnvironmentTags Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

Publication year 401Genre Play, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & SpiritualityTags Classical Period, Play: Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece

Oedipus at Colonus is an ancient Athenian tragedy composed by Sophocles in (it is widely believed) the last year of his life, approximately 406 BC. His grandson, who was named Sophocles after him, first produced the play in 401 BC at the Festival of Dionysus, also known as the Great Dionysia. Along with Oedipus Rex and Antigone, it is one of three surviving tragedies by Sophocles, known as the Theban plays, that retell episodes from... Read Oedipus at Colonus Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: AgingTags Grief / Death

Publication year 1938Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags American Literature

Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: FriendshipTags Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of AgeTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Relationships

Kevin Henkes is the author of Olive’s Ocean, a 2001 coming-of-age chapter book for young readers. Kevin has written and illustrated several books for children and young readers, including Waiting (1991) and The Year of Billy Miller (2013). Henkes was born in Wisconsin, and this Midwest state is the home of his character Billy Miller, as well as Martha Boyle, the 12-year-old protagonist in Olive’s Ocean. In the novel, Martha grapples with the sudden death... Read Olive's Ocean Summary


Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: HopeTags British Literature, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction

On Beauty by the celebrated British author Zadie Smith was published in 2005. On Beauty was shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Smith is known for writing novels and essays that analyze the intersections of identity in the contemporary world with nuance, clarity, and empathy. She is also known to be influenced by the classic English author E.M. Forster. On Beauty is loosely based on Forster’s masterpiece... Read On Beauty Summary


Publication year 1817Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: AgingTags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Ancient Greece, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1995Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: AgingTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships

Our Souls at Night is Colorado author Kent Haruf’s last novel, and it was published in 2015, after his death. Like much of Haruf’s other writing, this novel is set in the fictional town of Holt, Colorado. The novel begins with 70-year-old Addie Moore making a proposition to her neighbor Louis Waters that they sleep together—literally, not sexually—in order to combat the loneliness that they often feel, especially at night. They have both lost their... Read Our Souls At Night Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Midlife, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Self Help, Sports, Psychology, Psychology

Publication year 2007Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: LoveTags Lyric Poem, Relationships

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: MothersTags Animals, Grief / Death, Parenting, Relationships, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism

Publication year 1982Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Science / Nature

Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: AgingTags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Travel Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Rules Of The Road is a contemporary young adult novel by established author Joan Bauer, first published in 1998. It is the first book in the Rules of the Road series. The second book, Best Foot Forward, was published in 2005. Joan Bauer’s own complicated childhood with an alcohol-addicted father inspired Rules of the Road, which was met with critical acclaim. It won both the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and the Golden Kite Award... Read Rules of the Road Summary


Publication year 1995Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past

Sabbath’s Theater by Philip Roth, published in 1995, is a work of literary fiction that follows the titular character Mickey Sabbath, an aging yet lustful man, as he navigates life after the passing of his long-time mistress, Drenka. As Sabbath runs from his loss and his unhappy marriage, he finds himself in New York City, confronting the pain of his first wife’s disappearance and the death of his older brother, Morty, during World War II... Read Sabbath's Theater Summary


Publication year 1974Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1928Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Modernism

Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags Literary Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: LonelinessTags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Relationships

Something Borrowed is a work of romantic fiction from author Emily Giffin, published in 2004. It was a critical and commercial success, earning rave reviews and landing a spot on the New York Times bestseller list. The novel was Giffin’s first, and she has published several more books in the same genre. Some of her other books include Love the One You’re With (2008), Heart of the Matter (2010), Where We Belong (2012), and Something... Read Something Borrowed Summary


Publication year 1609Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: The FutureTags Lyric Poem

Publication year 1609Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Lyric Poem, Elizabethan Era

Publication year 1991Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & YouthTags Inspirational

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure

Lissa Price’s Starters is a young adult science fiction novel set in the near future after the Spore Wars, during which biological weapons were used against the United States and wiped out much of the unvaccinated middle-aged population. As a result, many teens were left without families, and the elderly feared for their place in society. Starters without grandparents were barred from essentially every type of work. This led to teens being rounded up to... Read Starters Summary


Publication year 2018Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: ClassTags Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Class, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2014Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: AgingTags Victorian Period, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy

Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales is a 2014 collection of nine short stories from Canadian author Margaret Atwood. While Atwood has published fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, she is probably best known for her dystopian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale. Other works by this author include Cat’s Eye, The Testaments, and Oryx and Crake. Atwood often tackles the power of the written word in her work. Many of the characters in Stone Mattress: Nine Wicked Tales are... Read Stone Mattress Summary


Publication year 2003Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: NostalgiaTags Narrative / Epic Poem

Publication year 1798Genre Poem, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: WarTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, History: European

“The Battle of Blenheim,” also known as “After Blenheim,” is a satirical, antiwar poem by English Romantic poet Robert Southey, written in 1798 and published in the Morning Post newspaper on August 9 of that year. The poem, which is in the form of a ballad, looks back at the Battle of Blenheim, which was fought around the Bavarian town of Blindheim, in southern Germany, on August 2, 1704, during the War of the Spanish... Read The Battle of Blenheim Summary


Publication year 1999Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: AgingTags Canadian Literature

“The Bear Came Over the Mountain” is one of Alice Munro’s most popular works and tackles themes of infidelity, love, and hypocrisy. The short story was first published in The New Yorker in December 1999 and was later included in Munro’s Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage short story collection in 2001, her 10th collection. “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” received a movie adaptation titled Away from Her in 2006. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage... Read The Bear Came over the Mountain Summary


Publication year 1990Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: AgingTags Gender / Feminism, Sociology, Psychology, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government

Naomi Wolf’s The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women was published in 1990 and republished in 2002 by HarperCollins with an updated introduction. At the time of its original release, The Beauty Myth was considered a seminal feminist work for its analysis of the way the market—and its consumer culture—generates and perpetuates the myth of beauty to control women on a psychological level. This study guide refers to the 2009 HarperCollins... Read The Beauty Myth Summary


Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: FamilyTags Holidays & Occasions, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2007Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: DisabilityTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Self Help

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: FamilyTags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Disability, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Sports, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2022Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: TeamsTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1949Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Mystery / Crime Fiction

The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee is an 18th-century Chinese mystery novel detailing three complex cases solved by Judge Dee (also known as Ti Jen-chieh or Di Renjie), a famous stateman who lived during the Tang dynasty in the 7th century. These crimes are dubbed “Double Murder at Dawn,” “The Case of the Strange Corpse,” and “The Poisoned Bride,” respectively, and they take place in three distinct locations—the roadway, a small village, and a wealthy... Read The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee Summary


Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: GenderTags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy

Publication year 1935Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: BeautyTags Modernism, Education, Education

“The Far and the Near” by American author Thomas Wolfe was first published in 1935. The story is set in rural America in the early 20th century and tells of a train engineer who passes the same cottage on his route for over 20 years. When the engineer retires, he visits the people who live in the cottage for the first time. The story explores themes such as The Relentless Passage of Time, Idealized Perception... Read The Far and the Near Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Reference/Text Book, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. NatureTags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality

Publication year 2003Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: MothersTags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary


Publication year 2014Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Fame, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The PastTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Humor

In 2014’s The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L Holm, an aging scientist turns himself into a teenager who must re-enter middle school alongside his granddaughter while they plot to get him back into his lab to finish his brilliant work. A humorous science-fiction novel for middle-grade readers, The Fourteenth Goldfish is the first in a two-book series.   New York Times Bestselling author Holm has written nearly 60 books for young readers, including the May Amelia... Read The Fourteenth Goldfish Summary


Publication year 2011Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags Lyric Poem, Finance / Money / Wealth

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Family, Relationships: MarriageTags LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Romance

Publication year 1964Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Class, Society: Community, Identity: GenderTags Play: Drama, Psychological Fiction, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2015Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: ArtTags Romance, Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

The Japanese Lover is Isabel Allende’s 18th novel. Like most of Allende’s work, it falls under the genres of magical realism and historical fiction. The novel was originally published in 2015, the year after Allende was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition to the overarching focus on romance and love, the novel addresses issues relating to World War II (WWII), Japanese American incarceration during the 1940s, racism, homophobia, and the struggles of aging... Read The Japanese Lover Summary


Publication year 1908Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Self Discovery, Life/Time: AgingTags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Literature, British Literature, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

“The Jolly Corner” is a short story written by American British writer Henry James. It is one of his most famous ghost stories, along with The Turn of the Screw (1898). It was first published in December of 1908 for The English Review magazine. “The Jolly Corner” is told from a third-person limited point of view and explores themes of The Discontinuity of Identity and The Fear of Missed Opportunity as the protagonist struggles to... Read The Jolly Corner Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy

Ruth Hogan’s 2017 debut novel The Keeper of Lost Things is a romance infused with elements of the paranormal and the magical. Hogan, a career civil servant in the UK, was approaching 50 when the book was published. A prolonged recovery from a car accident and then a struggle with cancer gave her the opportunity to devote time to what had been her childhood passion for storytelling. A voracious reader, she had been writing short... Read The Keeper of Lost Things Summary


Publication year 2001Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: IndigenousTags History: U.S., Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality

Joseph M. Marshall III, who is from the Sicangu Oglala tribe, grew up on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. He was raised by his maternal grandparents, who told him stories about Lakota traditions and culture. These stories transmit the virtues of Lakota culture, including humility, perseverance, respect, honor, love, sacrifice, truth, compassion, bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. He dedicates a chapter to each of these virtues, which are at the foundation of Lakota culture. The... Read The Lakota Way Summary


Publication year 2010Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: FamilyTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, African American Literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (November 2010) is a novel by award-winning author Walter Mosley. Mosley has enjoyed a distinguished literary career, penning over forty books in the genres of mystery, science fiction, and political nonfiction. He is the first Black recipient of a National Book Foundation Medal in the category of Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Mosley’s father was African American, and his mother was Jewish with Russian ancestry. Mosley identifies strongly with... Read The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey Summary


Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / PerseveranceTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1968Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: FameTags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: CommunityTags Historical Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Publication year 2024Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Environment, Self DiscoveryTags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, History: World

Publication year 1791Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags British Literature, History: European, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Class, Depression / Suicide, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) is often considered to be one of the finest pieces of biographical writing in the English language. Samuel Johnson was an English poet, essayist, and lexicographer who produced a pioneering and influential Dictionary of the English Language. However, he is less well-known today for his writings than as the biographical subject for Boswell, a lawyer from Scotland who first met Johnson in 1763. During their 21-year friendship... Read The Life of Samuel Johnson Summary


Publication year 1956Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: AgingTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

“The Minority Report,” a short story by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, follows the story of Precrime Commissioner John A. Anderton as he decides whether or not he will commit the murder of a stranger, Leopold Kaplan, of which he has been accused approximately one week in advance of the event. Through this political and psychological dilemma, Dick explores the themes of predestination versus free will, the importance of personal values versus the greater... Read The Minority Report Summary


Publication year 1998Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Food, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: ImmigrationTags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Indian Literature, Food, Asian Literature

Publication year 1982Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: AgingTags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2023Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: AgingTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure

Publication year 1952Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery

Publication year 2024Genre Book, NonfictionThemes Self Discovery, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & TechnologyTags Health / Medicine, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science / Nature

Publication year 1908Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Historical Fiction, British Literature

Publication year 2011Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy

The Postmortal by Drew Magary is a science fiction thriller that follows a man named John Farrell in the decades following the “postmortal cure,” a type of genetic engineering that stops aging. The novel grapples with the human experience amid technological advantages, religious zeal, and increasingly human-driven crises. Magary, whose legal name is Andrew Schuyler Magary, is a journalist, humor writer, and novelist. He has written for magazines such as GQ and is the co-founder... Read The Postmortal Summary


Publication year 1933Genre Novella, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: FathersTags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, American Literature, Historical Fiction

The Red Pony by John Steinbeck was published in installments from 1933 to 1936, as a novella in 1937, and in a short story collection, The Long Valley, in 1945. Steinbeck drew upon his experience living in the Salinas Valley. The four stories that make up The Red Pony are considered works of classic literature and bildungsroman, or coming-of-age stories. Steinbeck also wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film adaptation of The Red Pony, and... Read The Red Pony Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Short Story Collection, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Life/Time: AgingTags Immigration / Refugee, Historical Fiction, Asian Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Vietnam War, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World

The Refugees is a 2017 collection of short stories by celebrated Vietnamese American author, Viet Thanh Nguyen. Nguyen has written fiction, academic nonfiction, and children’s books, and his novel The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2016. Nguyen received his doctorate in English at the University of California Berkeley, and he currently is a literature professor at the University of Southern California. Nguyen’s scholarship and literary works focus on the experiences of Vietnamese communities in... Read The Refugees Summary


Publication year 1989Genre Novel, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: GriefTags Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Remains of the Day is a novel by British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Released in 1989, the novel tells the story of Stevens, who once worked as a butler at a stately home in England. In his old age, he returns to the house and reminisces about his experiences in the 1920-1930s. Most of the novel is told in flashback. The novel was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film of the same name, released in 1993.Plot... Read The Remains of the Day Summary


Publication year 2021Genre Biography, NonfictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self DiscoveryTags Animals, History: World, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Biography

Publication year 1916Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: PlaceTags Narrative / Epic Poem, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Science / Nature, Philosophy, American Literature, Modernism, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2005Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: MemoryTags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1955Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Publication year 2014Genre Graphic Novel/Book, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & GreedTags Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore

The Sleeper and the Spindle is a standalone short story written by English American author Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Chris Riddell. It first appeared unillustrated in the 2013 anthology Rag & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales. The story is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty, featuring two unnamed female characters who act as reimagined versions of the sleeping princess and of Snow White. It uses classic fairy tale tropes and motifs to upend... Read The Sleeper and the Spindle Summary


Publication year 1976Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: RegretTags American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Spectator Bird, Wallace Stegner’s 11th novel and winner of the 1977 National Book Award, takes a hawklike view, both expansive and intimate, of such things as aging, death, love, loss, temptation, and regret. A sequel to his novel All the Little Live Things (1967), Bird follows the same protagonist and narrator, the retiree Joe Allston, but interlaces past and present, death and rebirth, memory and mythology. Stegner, who was 67 when Bird was published... Read The Spectator Bird Summary


Publication year 2017Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FamilyTags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends... Read The Story of Arthur Truluv Summary


Publication year 1972Genre Novel, FictionThemes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: AgingTags Grief / Death, Scandinavian Literature, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Safety & DangerTags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2012Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The PastTags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Inspirational

The Time Keeper (2012) by American author Mitch Albom is a fable that explores the themes of Humans’ Relationship with Time, The Need to Live in the Present, and the Acceptance of One’s Mortality. The inventor of the world’s first clock, Dor, is punished for measuring time and banished to a cave for thousands of years where he becomes an ageless Father Time. Eventually, he is granted his freedom with the condition that he must... Read The Time Keeper Summary


Publication year 2000Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & PrideTags History: World, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction

Publication year 1931Genre Novel, FictionThemes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: AgingTags British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Waves by Virginia Woolf was published in 1931. Widely considered to be Woolf’s most experimental work, The Waves is a proponent of themes and techniques of modernism, including stream-of-consciousness narration and the use of leitmotifs. Set in England in the first part of the 20th century, the novel explores the lives of six characters from childhood into adulthood, exploring their unique experiences and the relationships between them. Employing a rotational structure of the six... Read The Waves Summary


Publication year 1917Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art

Publication year 2020Genre Novel, FictionThemes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: ConflictTags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Social Justice, Race / Racism, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2009Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: FamilyTags Psychological Fiction, Historical Fiction, Relationships, Grief / Death, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Tinkers (2009) is Paul Harding’s debut novel. It delves into the life of a dying man, George Washington Crosby, as he reflects on his past and his family history. The narrative weaves together George’s memories with stories from his father’s life, and it explores the themes of mortality, memory, and the interconnectedness of generations. The novel, which is considered literary fiction, won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2010 PEN/ Robert W. Bingham... Read Tinkers Summary


Publication year 1988Genre Short Story, FictionThemes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Race, Life/Time: AgingTags African American Literature

Alice Walker published her first short story, “To Hell with Dying,” in 1968 and republished it as a children’s book with illustrations by Catherine Deeter in 1988. While suitable for children, its depth, themes, and writing style resonate with readers of all ages with an interest in African American literature. Alice Walker is a prominent author of novels, essays, and poems and was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction... Read To Hell with Dying Summary


Publication year 1974Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The PastTags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Science / Nature

Publication year 1917Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & DeathTags Imagist poetry

Publication year 1962Genre Autobiography / Memoir, NonfictionThemes Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Language, Society: CommunityTags Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, American Literature, Animals, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Classic Fiction, Biography

Published in 1962, Travels With Charley: In Search of America is a narrative travelogue by John Steinbeck. The book follows a cross-country road trip the author took with his dog, a brown poodle named Charley. They travel in a camper-style pickup truck named Rosinante, which Steinbeck had custom built for the trip. Steinbeck embarked on the journey because he felt disconnected from the larger picture of American life after years of living in New York... Read Travels With Charley Summary


Publication year 1975Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: FamilyTags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Romance

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt follows the journey of a young girl’s decision to live forever or remain mortal. The book received many honors and awards, including the Janusz Korczak Medal and the 1976 Christopher Award as best book for young people, among others, and it was named an ALA Notable Book. Tuck Everlasting was adapted twice into a full-length feature film (1981 and 2002), and it appeared on Broadway as a stage musical in... Read Tuck Everlasting Summary


Publication year 1842Genre Poem, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Victorian Literature / Period, Classic Fiction

Publication year 1606Genre Play, FictionThemes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & LiesTags British Literature, Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Jacobean Era, Play: Drama, Classical Period

Volpone is a comedic play by English playwright Ben Jonson, written in 1605-06 and first performed by the King’s Men at the Globe Theatre the same year. The play was first published in a quarto in 1607 and then in an official folio, The Workes of Benjamin Jonson, in 1616. Volpone, like Jonson’s other popular works, is a satire that comments on The Corrupting Power of Greed,     The Moral Impact of Performance, and Seeking Justice... Read Volpone Summary


Publication year 1934Genre Novel, FictionThemes Life/Time: AgingTags Classic Fiction, The Lost Generation, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction

In 1934, Jean Rhys wrote Voyage in the Dark, her third published novel and a book believed to besemi-autobiographical.Voyage in the Dark is the story of eighteen-year-old Anna Morgan, a woman transitioning from her childhood in the West Indies into her adulthood in England. For Anna, Britain is a foreign landscape that is as mundane and repetitive as it is cold and harsh. Although she appears to adjust herself to England, her thoughts are easily led... Read Voyage In The Dark Summary


Publication year 2006Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & BetrayalTags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary


Publication year 2019Genre Novel, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: FamilyTags Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 1893Genre Poem, FictionThemes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Aging

Publication year 1962Genre Play, FictionThemes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Appearance & RealityTags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy