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 2007
Genre Collection of Letters, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice
Publication year 1985
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Immigration / Refugee, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Black Lives Matter, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, American Revolution, American Civil War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Colonial America, Sociology, Education, Education, Business / Economics, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation, originally published in 2003 by Oxford University Press, is a popular history book by American cultural historian Jim Cullen. As an overview and critical analysis of the American Dream, this book adds some meat to the bones of a traditionally ambiguous concept. Cullen maintains an optimistic outlook about the usefulness of the various American Dreams and about the promise of America, despite... Read The American Dream Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
Competitor... Read The Antidote Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Originally written in German and published in 2002, Jan-Philipp Sendker’s debut novel, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, was translated into English by Kevin Wiliarty in 2006. An international bestseller, the novel received the Indies Choice Honor Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2013. In response to such acclaim, Sendker penned a sequel, A Well-Tempered Heart, in 2012. The novel is international in scope—being written by a German journalist who lived in upstate New York, detailing... Read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Heinemann African Writers, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Satire, Poverty, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, History: World
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, published in 1968, is a debut novel by Ayi Kwei Armah, one of the most noteworthy writers of postcolonial Ghana. Armah was born in Takoradi, Ghana, in 1939. He was educated at schools in Ghana and private institutions in America, including Harvard University. He has also worked as a translator, scriptwriter, and a university lecturer.The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born focuses on life in post-independence Ghana and... Read The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born Summary
Publication year 1851
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Relationships, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Leadership/Organization/Management, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, History: European, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Children's Literature
Originally published in 2014, The Blood of Olympus is the fifth and final book in Rick Riordan’s young adult fantasy series The Heroes of Olympus, inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. The series follows seven demigods—children of one divine and one mortal parent—as they try to stop the earth goddess, Gaea, from rising to power. The novel won several awards, including the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Middle Grade and Children’s Book of 2014. The... Read The Blood of Olympus Summary
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: War
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
The Blue Sword (1982) is a young adult fantasy novel by American author Robin McKinley. Set in the mythical kingdom of Damar, the story follows Angharad “Harry” Crewe, a young orphaned woman from a colonizing nation known as the Homeland. After being sent to live in a remote desert outpost, Harry is unexpectedly kidnapped by Corlath, the king of the native Hillfolk, who senses ancient magic in her. As Harry is drawn deeper into the... Read The Blue Sword Summary
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Society: Colonialism
Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
The Bone People (1984) by Keri Hulme was the first New Zealand novel to receive the Booker Prize. It also earned a number of other awards, including the 1984 New Zealand Book Award and the Pegasus Award for Maori Literature. A native of Christchurch, Hulme grew up on the South Island. She comes from a large, diverse, multicultural family of English, Scottish, and Maori descent. After finishing high school, the writer began working as a... Read The Bone People Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, History: World
Publication year 1975
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Book of Sand” by Jorge Luis Borges is a short story dealing with humankind’s inability to grasp the infinite, whether in spirituality or in physical reality. Borges is one of the most well-known Latin American authors, as well as one of the most notable postmodernists of the 20th century. Like much of Borges’s work, “The Book of Sand” contains themes and motifs of the infinite, the nature of literature, spirituality, and postcolonial thought. “The... Read The Book of Sand Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Self Discovery
Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, Military / War, History: U.S.
Publication year 1959
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, Anthropology, Grief / Death, Military / War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Latin American Literature, Education, Education, Anthropology
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, History: World
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