Community

A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World


Publication year 1990

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)

A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Diary, 1785-1812 is a 1990 nonfiction biography of midwife Martha Ballard by American historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Using Martha Ballard’s diary as a primary source, Ulrich utilizes a microhistorical approach to evaluate the life of Ballard, the history of Maine’s Kennebec River region, and the themes of social medicine, women’s role in the economy, and religion’s place in everyday life. A Midwife’s Tale won... Read A Midwife's Tale Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags History: U.S., Social Justice, Race / Racism, Education, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Sociology, History: World


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Sports, Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, History: World, Inspirational, Biography


Publication year 1950

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction

First published in 1950, A Murder Is Announced is a mystery novel by one of the leading writers of the Golden Age of detective fiction: Agatha Christie, “Queen of Crime.” Although best known for her Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novels such as Murder at the Vicarage and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Christie also published short story collections and wrote the world’s longest-running play—The Mousetrap (1952). Her fiction has inspired numerous film and television adaptations... Read A Murder Is Announced Summary


Publication year 1985

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Sociology, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Technology, Information Age, Education

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business is a nonfiction book by Neil Postman, published in 1985. Postman was a professor of education and communication at New York University with a special interest in the role of technology and media in society. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York in Fredonia and a master’s degree and doctorate from the Teachers College of Columbia University. In... Read Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, History: World, Business / Economics, Philosophy


Publication year 1991

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, American Literature


Publication year 1987

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, LGBTQ, Politics / Government

And The Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a work of investigative reporting by Randy Shilts, a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts covered the AIDS epidemic from 1982 for the only newspaper willing to give its full attention to the epidemic. Shilts examines the roots of AIDS beginning in 1976 to two events and focuses on the mysterious illness of a Danish physician working in Africa, Dr. Grethe Rask. Before... Read And The Band Played On Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Lyric Poem


Publication year 1913

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: Nation, Identity: Race, Society: Community

Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1882

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community

Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Scandinavian Literature

IntroductionHenrik Ibsen, a well-known Norwegian playwright who is often lauded as the founder of modern drama, wrote An Enemy of the People in 1882. It is an example of Ibsen’s starkly realist, late-career style. Ibsen’s works were very popular throughout his life, but often drew criticism due to their frank discussion of political and social problems in 19th-century Norwegian society. Two years prior he had released the most controversial work of his career, Ghosts, which... Read An Enemy of the People Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Civil Rights / Jim Crow

Angela Davis: An Autobiography, originally published in 1974, is a political autobiography focused on the imprisonment and trial of activist and scholar Angela Davis in the early 1970s. In 1970, after guns belonging to Davis were used in an uprising at the Marin County Courthouse in California, Davis was accused and convicted of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. A jury acquitted Davis of all charges in 1972. She published her autobiography two years later to center... Read Angela Davis Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2000

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Southern Literature, History: U.S., Politics / Government


Publication year 1955

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Technology, History: U.S., Biography, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community

Tags Satire, History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Animals, Post-War Era, Allegory / Fable / Parable, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Published in 1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell (1903-1950) achieved immediate success and remains one of Orwell’s most popular works. A political satire in the guise of a moving and whimsical animal fable, the novella is about a group of farm animals who overthrow their owner, Mr. Jones, and establish animal rule. Although the animals start with high hopes for Animal Farm as a harmonious and just utopia where “all animals are equal” (19), it... Read Animal Farm Summary


Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Education, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Military / War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World


Publication year 2010

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Biography

Author Laura Schroff’s 2012 New York Times bestseller An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny recounts a fateful meeting between two vastly different individuals: Maurice, a young boy living in poverty and a broken home, and Schroff, a successful ad executive enjoying a fast-paced career. In the memoir, the author posits that an invisible thread joins their lives. It is beyond her... Read An Invisible Thread Summary