The texts in this thematic collection organized around the idea of Loyalty & Betrayal range from Dennis Lehane's Mystic River to Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Sweat. But each book explores the idea in its own way, revealing the intricate ways we may maintain loyalty at all costs — or test the bonds of family and friend relationships through deep betrayal.
Publication year 1622
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Play: Tragedy, British Literature, Harlem Renaissance, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
The Changeling is a Jacobean tragicomedy written in collaboration between established playwrights Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. It was first performed in 1622 and published in 1653. The play is adapted from John Reynolds’s 1621 story collection titled The Triumphs of Gods Revenge Against the Crying and Execrable Sinne of Willful and Premeditated Murther.The play has two plots: a tragic main plot and a comedic subplot. Scholars believe Middleton wrote the majority of the main... Read The Changeling Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Humor, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1962
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction
“The Country Husband,” one of John Cheever’s most anthologized short stories, is an exploration of suburban life and the struggles of its inhabitants. It won an O’Henry award in 1956 and was included in the anthology The Stories of John Cheever, which won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Using a third-person narrator, it focuses on protagonist Francis Weed’s disillusionment with his life after a near-death experience, which manifests primarily as a romantic obsession with... Read The Country Husband Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1907
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government
The Day of the Jackal is a 1971 thriller by Frederick Forsyth. The novel is centered around a professional assassin, known only as the Jackal, who is hired by a French paramilitary group to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. Forsyth’s realistic, research-based writing style builds suspense through a detailed account of the cat-and-mouse chase that spans across Europe, showcasing the complexities of security and espionage during a tumultuous political era. The novel has been... Read The Day of the Jackal Summary
Publication year 1914
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Grief / Death, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction
“The Dead” is a short story by Irish writer James Joyce. The story is a part of Joyce’s renowned Dubliners collection, first published in 1914, which portrays daily life in the Irish city of Dublin in the early 20th century. In “The Dead,” a literary young man attends a party with his wife. The events at the party prompt him to reflect on his life and his place in the universe. The short story has... Read The Dead Summary
Publication year 1485
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
First published in 1485, Thomas Malory's Le Morte d’Arthur collected the mythological-historical legends about King Arthur from numerous source texts into a comprehensive prose narrative divided into plot sections and written in late Middle English. Although multiple men named Thomas Malory lived around that time, the most likely author was an English knight, later a prisoner in Newgate, who would have been educated in all the practices of “courtesy” (knightly conduct). The title of his... Read The Death of King Arthur Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Nation, Society: Education, Self Discovery, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Free verse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, History: African , African American Literature, History: World
Publication year 1846
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Psychology, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure
The Eyes of the Dragon was originally self-published by Stephen King in 1984 with Philtrum Press. The first edition, illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser, had a limited run, and the books were mostly given as gifts by the author. Three years later, Viking published a mass-market version with new illustrations by David Palladini. The novel was a departure for King, who had earned a reputation as a master of horror novels by the 1980s. Instead... Read The Eyes of the Dragon Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Fantasy