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.

The Swallows of Kabul

by Yasmina Khadra

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Fear, Marriage, Community, Politics & Government

Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma & Abuse

The Swallows of Kabul (2002) is the 11th published work by Mohammed Moulessehoul. It is published under the pen name Yasmina Khadra, derived from Moulessehoul’s wife’s first two names, to circumvent military censorship of works published by soldiers. Moulessehoul has written extensively regarding his experiences in the military as an Algerian, exploring themes and events across the Arab and French worlds. The Swallows of Kabul is a work of historical fiction, taking place during the... Read The Swallows of Kabul Summary

The Sweetness of Water

by Nathan Harris

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Memory, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, The Past, Marriage, Daughters & Sons, Community, War, Safety & Danger, Plants

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Race & Racism, American Civil War, African American Literature, Grief & Death, US History, Love & Sexuality, Post-War Era, Military & War, World History

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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

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The Therapist

by B. A. Paris

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, Community, Appearance & Reality

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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The Thing Around Your Neck

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Publication year 2009

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration

Tags African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Relationships, Gender & Feminism

The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was published in 2009. Adichie had previously published two novels, making this text her third book and her first short story anthology. Some of the stories had been published previously in publications like The New Yorker and The Iowa Review. The book received praise, situating Adichie as a rising star of Nigerian literature. These short stories deal with problems of political conflict, immigration, artistic integrity, and... Read The Thing Around Your Neck Summary

The Tipping Point

by Malcolm Gladwell

Publication year 2000

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Community, Science & Technology, Future

Tags Business & Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Leadership, Science & Nature, Psychology

Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point (2000) is an interdisciplinary work of popular sociology and psychology that explores the concept of the tipping point, a moment of sudden change that occurs in social epidemics. Gladwell explores how social epidemics work and offers many case studies and illustrative research to bolster his novel arguments about how epidemics “tip.” The book began as an article for The New Yorker. This guide refers to the first edition of the... Read The Tipping Point Summary

The Trees

by Percival Everett

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Justice, Revenge, Community

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Race & Racism, Black Lives Matter

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The True Believer

by Eric Hoffer

Publication year 1951

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Wins & Losses, Hate & Anger

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Politics & Government, Sociology, Social Science, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951), by Eric Hoffer, is a philosophical treatise that explores the question of why ordinary people join mass movements and become fanatical devotees of what they perceive as a holy cause. Hoffer argues that prospective fanatics—the soon-to-be true believers—experience personal frustration so intense that their strongest desire is to lose their individuality altogether by surrendering to something greater than themselves. Mass movements exploit this frustration... Read The True Believer Summary

The Unworthy

by Agustina Bazterrica, Transl. Sarah Moses

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Death, Future, Self Discovery, Community, Good & Evil, Power & Greed

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+

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The Upstairs Room

by Johanna Reiss

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World History

The Upstairs Room (1972) is a novel based on the experiences of author Johanna Reiss as a Jewish girl during World War II. The novel follows protagonist Annie de Leeuw and her sister Sini as they hide from the Nazis during the German occupation of Holland. Annie’s story, which is told from her first-person perspective, celebrates human resilience and compassion while exploring themes concerning the loss of childhood innocence, the sacrifices people make during wartime... Read The Upstairs Room Summary