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 Sign of the Beaver

by Elizabeth George Speare

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Masculinity, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, US History, Race & Racism, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Published in 1983, The Sign of the Beaver is a historical adventure novel for middle grade readers written by Elizabeth George Speare. Based on a true story that took place in 1760s Colonial America, the book follows the adventures of a young English boy who, while living alone in the Maine wilderness, befriends a local Penobscot boy who teaches him how to survive. The experience changes his views of himself, his family and fellow colonists... Read The Sign of the Beaver Summary

The Sign of the Four

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Publication year 1890

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Colonialism, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Sign of Four is the second Sherlock Holmes novel by famed British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. First published in February 1890 in the popular literary magazine Lippincott’s under the title “The Sign of the Four; or the Problem of the Sholtos,” its title was shortened to The Sign of Four when it was published in book format in October 1890. The Sign of Four has been adapted many times for the stage, radio... Read The Sign of the Four Summary

The Slave Ship

by Marcus Rediker

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, The Past, Colonialism, Globalization, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, US History, Politics & Government, History: African , Age of Enlightenment

The Slave Ship: A Human History is a 2007 book by Marcus Rediker that describes what happened aboard the ships carrying enslaved people from Africa to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. Rediker focuses his history on the slave ship itself as well as those onboard. The book won numerous awards, including the 2008 George Washington Book Prize and the 2008 Merle Curti Award. Critics praise it for shedding light on a little-explored facet of... Read The Slave Ship Summary

The Son

by Philipp Meyer

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Loneliness, Regret, Femininity, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Race, The Past, Environment, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Grandparents, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, War, Fate, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, US History, World History

... Read The Son Summary

The Song of Hiawatha

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Publication year 1855

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Memory, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Environment, Place, Family, Colonialism, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Narrative Poem, Fairy Tale & Folklore, American Literature, Romanticism, Agriculture, US History, Science & Nature

... Read The Song of Hiawatha Summary

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Animals, Environment, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Action & Adventure

The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting is a classic children’s book first published in 1920. Lofting, an English author and former civil engineer, crafted his tale of an eccentric doctor who learns to talk to animals by drawing on his experiences in the British Empire during World War I. Lofting’s story, which began as letters home to his children to escape the harsh wartime realities, belongs to the fantasy genre and has captivated... Read The Story of Doctor Dolittle Summary

The Story of My Experiments with Truth

by Mahatma Gandhi

Publication year 1927

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Colonialism, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Social Class, Education, Justice

Tags Indian Literature, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Politics & Government, Asian History, World History, Health, Poverty, Military & War, Race & Racism, Relationships, Social Justice

The Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more widely known as Mahatma Gandhi. A key political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement, Gandhi penned this work to narrate his quest for truth and the principles that underpinned his life’s journey. Originally published in 1927, this memoir provides a meticulous account of Gandhi’s spiritual, moral, and political evolution. The literary era in which this was... Read The Story of My Experiments with Truth Summary

The Storyteller's Secret

by Sejal Badani

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Social Class, Friendship, Community, Literature, Mothers, Love, Marriage

Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, Asian History, Gender & Feminism, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts & Culture

... Read The Storyteller's Secret Summary

The Stranger

by Albert Camus

Publication year 1942

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality, Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Philosophy, Relationships, Race & Racism, French Literature, Absurdism, Education, Education, World History, Philosophy

The Stranger is a short novel by French author Albert Camus, published in 1942. The story combines themes of absurdism and existentialism and is considered a classic of 20th-century literature. This guide uses the translation by Stuart Gilbert.Plot SummaryMeursault, a young man living in Algiers, receives a message which tells him that his mother has died. He takes a bus to the retirement home where she lived and stays with her body before the funeral... Read The Stranger Summary

The Tainted Cup

by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Mental Health, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Place, Teamwork, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy

... Read The Tainted Cup Summary

The Tempest

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1611

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Forgiveness, Colonialism

Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Drama, Modern Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire, Romance, Relationships, Race & Racism, British Literature, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Fantasy

The Tempest is a comic play by William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, along with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The Tempest recounts the story of Prospero, the overthrown duke of Milan, who maroons his betrayers on a magical island. There, he creates spells and enchantments that toy with the evildoers until they promise to restore his throne. The production, first staged in London in... Read The Tempest Summary

The Temple of My Familiar

by Alice Walker

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, Race, Marriage, Colonialism

Tags Race & Racism, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, African American Literature, Gender & Feminism, Classic Fiction

The Temple of My Familiar (1989) is a novel by Alice Walker. It follows the intersecting lives of multiple characters across countries and lifetimes, exploring the themes of The Feminine Experience, The Historical Trauma of Colonization, and Spirituality in the Diaspora.Alice Walker is an internationally acclaimed and celebrated writer, poet, and activist. Her novel The Color Purple won a National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983. Characters from this classic feature... Read The Temple of My Familiar Summary

The Terror

by Dan Simmons

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Colonialism, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, World History, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Survival Fiction

... Read The Terror Summary