Colonialism & Postcolonialism

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.

The Other Slavery

by Andrés Reséndez

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Justice, Equality, Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags World History, US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, European History, Colonial America

The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (First Mariners Books edition 2017) by Andrés Reséndez, a Mexican historian working at the University of California Davis, won the 2017 Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In this book, Reséndez dispels the myth that only African slaves faced enslavement in the Americas. He focuses on Indigenous slaves in the Caribbean, central and northern Mexico, and the American Southwest... Read The Other Slavery Summary

The Painted Veil

by W. Somerset Maugham

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Marriage

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, World History, Chinese Literature

The Painted Veil (1925) is the 11th novel by British novelist and playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He obtained the title from the opening lines of an untitled sonnet by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, posthumously published in 1824: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life” (Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Lift Not the Painted Veil.” 1824. Reprint. The Reader, 6 Feb. 2017. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022). The novel originally appeared... Read The Painted Veil Summary

The Passengers

by John Marrs

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Future, Environment, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

... Read The Passengers Summary

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1947

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Colonialism, Family

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Historical Fiction, Education, Education

The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor... Read The Pearl Summary

The Pioneers

by David McCullough

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Perseverance, Immigration, Nation

Tags US History, Action & Adventure, Colonial America, American Literature, World History, Western, Biography

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The Power and the Glory

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Fate, Community, Politics & Government, Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Politics & Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian, World History

Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power

by Daniel Yergin

Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Power & Greed, Environment

Tags Military & War, Science & Nature, Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary

The Promise

by Damon Galgut

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Justice, Colonialism

Tags Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, History: African , Social Justice, Race & Racism, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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The Quiet American

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Death, Trust & Doubt, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Military & War, Vietnam War, British Literature, Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction

The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a... Read The Quiet American Summary

The Radicalism of the American Revolution

by Gordon S. Wood

Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality

Tags US History, American Revolution, Politics & Government, American Literature, World History

The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1991) is a non-fiction book written by American historian and Brown University professor Gordon S. Wood. Most revolutions are an act of violence that result in deaths, property destruction, and a world turned upside down. Americans do not see the American Revolution this way. The American founding fathers were educated men who wrote pamphlets and spoke openly in legislative halls. As the story goes, they were gentlemen, not radicals... Read The Radicalism of the American Revolution Summary

The Rain God

by Arturo Islas

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Environment, Place, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Immigration, Religion & Spirituality

Tags LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture, Race & Racism

... Read The Rain God Summary