With best-selling novels like Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and influential academic texts such as Edward Said's Orientalism, this collection gathers books from across genres to explore the complex dynamics and lasting legacies of colonialism.
Publication year 1785
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, American Revolution, Classic Fiction, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Philosophy, Race / Racism
Publication year 1956
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Colonialism, Society: Class
Tags Race / Racism, Health / Medicine, African Literature
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Military / War
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics
Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: U.S., Natural Disaster, Parenting, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Narrative / Epic Poem, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Post Modernism
Omeros (1990) by Derek Walcott is an epic poem that reimagines The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer on the island of Saint Lucia in the Caribbean. Walcott explores themes of post-colonial identity and trauma while linking life on the island to Homer’s legendary characters, such as Achilles, Helen, and Hector. Omeros has been celebrated as a foundational work of post-colonial fiction and has won numerous awards. This guide refers to the 1992 Farrar, Straus... Read Omeros Summary
Publication year 1989
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Colonialism, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
South African author Nadine Gordimer (1923-2014) published the short story “Once Upon a Time” in 1989 while South Africa was still under apartheid, an institutionalized system of racism that from 1948 until 1994 discriminated against all people who were not white. Gordimer was the daughter of Jewish immigrants. Though not an Afrikaner (a South African descended from 17th-century Dutch colonizers), Gordimer was white and therefore part of South Africa’s ruling minority. Gordimer wrote about characters... Read Once Upon a Time Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags History, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Gothic, Southern Literature, Gothic Literature
One Foot in Eden is a 2002 crime novel by Ron Rash. Rash employs a blend of Southern Gothic and detective fiction to create suspense and explore the psychological inner conflict of the characters. The novel follows five different narrators as the people of Jocassee, South Carolina, discover the murder of Holland Winchester. As the investigation continues, the characters must come to terms with the displacement of their community while Carolina Power evicts the inhabitants... Read One Foot in Eden Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Biography
Publication year 1830
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government
Publication year 1977
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Arts / Culture, Philosophy, History: World, Business / Economics, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
On Photography is a 1977 collection of seven essays by American scholar, activist, and philosopher Susan Sontag. The essays were published in the New York Review of Books from 1973 to 1977 before publication in a single volume. Sontag explores the history of photography and its relationship to reality, the fine arts, and sociopolitical power structures. Individual essays explore these various relationships between photography and the world through a different lens before the culminating exploration... Read On Photography Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags American Literature, Psychological Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Race / Racism, September 11 Attacks, Modern Classic Fiction
Teju Cole’s first full-length novel, Open City was published in 2011 to widespread acclaim, winning the PEN/Hemingway Award, The New York City Book Award, and the Rosenthal Foundation Award. Open City made many lists of the best books of the year, including at the New York Times Book Review, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR. Cole was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Nigerian parents and spent most of his childhood in Lagos, Nigeria before returning... Read Open City Summary
Publication year 1978
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism
Tags Sociology, History: Middle Eastern, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
One of the foundational texts of postcolonial studies, Edward W. Said’s Orientalism was published in 1978. Up until this point, the term “Orientalism” was used to describe Western scholarship, thinking, and art about “the Orient,” generally Asia and the Middle East. In his book, Said interrogates both the term and ideology of Orientalism. He asserts that the West paints these cultures as exotic and “Other,” using essentialism and stereotypes to situate the West as superior... Read Orientalism Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: War, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Environment
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, History: World
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags Gender / Feminism, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Education, Education, African American Literature
Our Sister Killjoy, or, Reflections from a Black-eyed Squint (1977) is a novel by Ata Ama Aidoo (1942-2023). It was Aidoo’s debut novel, with an experimental style that switches between prose and free verse poetry. Aidoo, a Ghanaian writer, tells the story of Sissie, or Our Sister Killjoy, a young Ghanaian woman who travels around Europe before eventually returning home. She spends most of the narrative in Germany, where she befriends a young German mother... Read Our Sister Killjoy Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Language, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Fate, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, History: World
Publication year 1956
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Historical Fiction, African Literature, WWI / World War I
Palace Walk is a 1956 novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz. The story takes place in Cairo during World War I and in its immediate aftermath, touching on the political climate of the time as Egypt transitioned from British occupation to nationalism. The novel presents this change through the day-to-day life of the Muslim al-Jawad family. This guide refers to the 1994 Black Swan edition of the novel, which was translated by William Maynard Hutchins... Read Palace Walk Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African Literature, African American Literature