Grief

"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 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art

Tags Magical Realism, Children's Literature, Humor, Arts / Culture, Fantasy


Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Biography


Publication year 1850

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period

Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s In Memoriam AHH explores the cosmic implications of the death of a college friend (his sister’s fiancé), poet Arthur Henry Hallam, who died quite unexpectedly in 1833 at the age of 22 most likely from a cerebral hemorrhage. The poem is among the most ambitiously conceived philosophical poems in the English language and a monument to the dynamics of how Christians themselves grapple with the thorny question of mortality. The work stands... Read In Memoriam Summary


Publication year 1939

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1983

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Grief / Death

American author Amy Hempel wrote the minimalist short story “In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried” in 1983. The story is dedicated to Jessica Wolfson, Hempel’s friend who died of a terminal illness. Originally published in TriQuarterly, the story appeared in her first short story collection, Reasons to Live, in 1985.The story is written in the first-person point of view, with minimal detail provided about the narrator. The story is presumed to take place... Read In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Class, History: Asian, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Vietnam War, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

In the Shadow of the Banyan (2012) is a historical fiction novel by the Cambodian American author Vaddey Ratner. Set in the 1970s during the Cambodian genocide, the book’s perspective is from Raami, a seven-year-old girl and the daughter of a minor prince whose family is among the millions of Cambodians persecuted by the Khmer Rouge. While Raami’s story hews very closely to Ratner’s own real-life experiences, the author chose to write a work of... Read In The Shadow Of The Banyan Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Beauty

Tags African American Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Grief / Death, Social Justice, Race / Racism, American Literature, African American Literature


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, 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, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Magical Realism, Animals, Action / Adventure

James and the Giant Peach by British author Roald Dahl was first published in 1961. This critically acclaimed children’s novel was made into an award-winning film in 1996. It tells the story of a giant peach that magically grows in a young boy, James’s, back garden—big enough for him to enter the center of the peach and have adventures with the insects who live in there. Dahl is known as one of the 20th century’s greatest... Read James And The Giant Peach Summary