Equality

The titles in this Collection examine the concept of social equality through a broad array of literary genres and forms. These curated selections represent a diversity of voices and perspectives that examine social disparities through the lenses of gender, race, socioeconomics, and other factors.

Lovely One

by Ketanji Brown Jackson

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Gender Identity, Race, Family, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

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Love, Theoretically

by Ali Hazelwood

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Love, Regret, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Justice, Appearance & Reality, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Self Discovery, Mothers, Education, Equality

Tags Romance, Education, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction

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Main Street

by Sinclair Lewis

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Gender Identity, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Art, Beauty, Equality

Tags Satirical Literature, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Main Street is a 1920 satirical novel written by Sinclair Lewis. Set in the tiny town of Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, the story revolves around the trials and tribulations of Carol Milford Kennicott as she struggles to adjust to small-town living. In 1930, Main Street helped Lewis become the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. This guide is based on the 1995 Penguin Classics edition of Main Street.Content Warning: This guide and... Read Main Street Summary

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Race, Grief, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Social Class, Colonialism, Equality

Tags Romance, British Literature, Historical Fiction

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a contemporary comedy of manners written by English-born author Helen Simonson, exploring the tensions that erupt in a conservative English village when a respected widower, Major Pettigrew, falls in love with Mrs. Ali, a Pakistani shopkeeper’s widow. While the Major longs for companionship with the gracious and sensible Mrs. Ali, he must also navigate conflicts with his self-absorbed son, the changing economy of rural English life, and the melodrama unfolding... Read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Summary

March

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin

Publication year 2013

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Race, Justice, Equality, Perseverance

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Life-Inspired Fiction, Inspirational, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Black Lives Matter, World History, Biography

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Mary Barton

by Elizabeth Gaskell

Publication year 1848

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Family, Social Class, Equality

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Social Class, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester is the 1848 debut novel of Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell. It tells of the Victorian working class in Manchester, England, from 1839 to 1842, focusing on the story of the eponymous young female heroine. Through the experiences of two families—the Bartons and the Wilsons—it explores contemporary political and domestic issues during a time of increased industrialization and class tensions. As with much of Gaskell’s work, Mary Barton is narrated by... Read Mary Barton Summary

Me and the Mule

by Langston Hughes

Publication year 1959

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Race, Animals, Shame & Pride, Equality, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Harlem Renaissance, American Literature, African American Literature, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Social Justice, US History

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Men Who Hate Women

by Laura Bates

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Nature Versus Nurture, Community, Equality, Science & Technology

Tags Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse

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Mercy

by Jodi Picoult

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Mental Health, Equality, Love, Conflict

Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Health, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

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Middlesex

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Guilt, Love, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community, Immigration, Equality, Justice, Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+

Middlesex is a 2002 novel by Jeffrey Eugenides that tells a multigenerational, epic tale of a Greek family who immigrates to the US. The narrator, Calliope (or Cal) tells the story of how his grandparents, Lefty and Desdemona Stephanides, flee their homeland during a time of war and uncertainty, settling in the US. They harbor a family secret that changes the course of the narrator’s life: They’re brother and sister, and carry a genetic mutation... Read Middlesex Summary

Midnight Without a Moon

by Linda Williams Jackson

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Gratitude, Hate & Anger, Hope, Shame & Pride, Race, Beauty, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Children`s Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

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Mockingbird Summer

by Lynda Rutledge

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Friendship, Community, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Southern Literature, World History

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Moon Over Manifest

by Clare Vanderpool

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Nostalgia, Memory, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, The Past, Death, Appearance & Reality, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Family, Friendship, Community, Social Class, Economics, Immigration, Education, War, Politics & Government, Nation, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, World History

Moon Over Manifest is a 2010 novel by author Claire Vanderpool. It relates the story of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker, a drifting girl in search of her father, a home, and a sense of belonging. When the novel starts, her father, Gideon Tucker, has just sent Abilene to the Kansas town of Manifest, claiming that he can’t take her to Iowa, where he is allegedly taking a railroad job. It is 1936, and the Great Depression... Read Moon Over Manifest Summary