Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Original Sins

by Eve L. Ewing

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Race, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

... Read Original Sins Summary

Outlawed

by Anna North

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Community, Gender Identity, Justice

Tags Western, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, American Literature, World History

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Out of Darkness

by Ashley Hope Pérez

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Social Class, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Family, Siblings, Community, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Femininity, Masculinity

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Grief & Death, US History, Love & Sexuality, Race & Racism, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Social Class, World History

Out of Darkness is a young adult historical novel written by Ashley Hope Pérez and published in 2015 by Holiday House of New York. Pérez holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Indiana University, where her research focused on Latin American literature. A professor of World Literatures at Ohio State University, she is also the author of What Can’t Wait (2011), The Knife and The Butterfly (2012), and Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions about... Read Out of Darkness Summary

Pale Horse, Pale Rider

by Katherine Anne Porter

Publication year 1939

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Death, Justice, Fate, War, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Health, US History, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Pale Horse, Pale Rider is a novella written by Katherine Anne Porter. It was published in 1939, along with two other short novellas, Old Mortality and Noon Wine, under the collective title Pale Horse, Pale Rider. The story portrays two young lovers who are tragically affected by the 1918 influenza epidemic, or Spanish Flu.Other works by this author include The Jilting of Granny Weatherall and Flowering Judas.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2008... Read Pale Horse, Pale Rider Summary

Paradiso

by Dante Alighieri

Publication year 1320

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Beauty, Justice, Self Discovery

Tags Narrative Poem, Symbolic Narrative, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Medieval, Italian Literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Paradiso is the third and concluding part of The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri’s three-part epic narrative poem. It completes the allegorical journey initiated by the first two parts, Inferno (Hell) and Purgatorio (Purgatory). Beatrice, who symbolizes Dante’s ideal woman and who had previously accompanied him through the past part of Purgatory, here accompanies him as he journeys through the nine levels or spheres of Heaven, which are represented by various celestial bodies. In each sphere... Read Paradiso Summary

Pedro Paramo

by Juan Rulfo

Publication year 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Community, Religion & Spirituality, Grief, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Latin American Literature, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education, World History, Fantasy

Pedro Paramo is a 1955 novel by Mexican author Juan Rulfo. In the novel, Juan Preciado returns to his mother’s hometown after her death to seek out his father. Rather than his father, he discovers a town populated by ghosts and traumatic memories. Pedro Paramo has been hailed as one of the most important novels of the 20th century and a vital foundation stone in the genre of magical realism. This guide uses the 2014... Read Pedro Paramo Summary

Penpal

by Dathan Auerbach

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Pet

by Akwaeke Emezi

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Justice, Good & Evil

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse, African Literature, Black Lives Matter, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism

Akwaeke Emezi’s Pet, published in 2019, is a Speculative Fiction/Fantasy novel intended for Young Adult readers. Named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, Pet was also a finalist for the 2019 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The novel received the Stonewall Book Award, which recognizes achievement in LGBTQIA+ literature. Emezi, a non-binary Nigerian Igbo and Tamil writer who uses they/them pronouns, is also the author of two novels... Read Pet Summary

Pickwick Papers

by Charles Dickens

Publication year 1836

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Justice, Politics & Government, Community, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos, Literature, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Action & Adventure, Humor, Travel Literature, Social Class, European History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Sports, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era

The debut novel of British author Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) was first published as a series by Chapman and Hall between 1836 and 1837. The Pickwick Papers chronicles the adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, a group of travelers who journey around England and share their experiences. Because of the original serial format of the novel, the chapters contain individual but interconnected... Read Pickwick Papers Summary

Pieces of Her

by Karin Slaughter

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger, Justice, Good & Evil, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

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Planetarium

by Adrienne Rich

Publication year 1974

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Space, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fame, Science & Technology, Order & Chaos, Justice, Conflict, Memory, Love, Perseverance, Femininity

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender & Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships

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Planet Earth Is Blue

by Nicole Panteleakos

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Joy, Memory, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Space, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Education, Beauty, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Disability

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Planet of Slums

by Mike Davis

Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Economics, Colonialism, Social Class, Globalization, Nation, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Urban Development, Poverty, Finance, Asian History, History: African , European History, US History, Social Justice, Social Class, Science & Nature, Sociology, World History

Planet of Slums is a non-fiction book published in 2006 by American author and urban theorist Mike Davis. It chronicles the spread of poverty in cities around the world at a time when more than a billion people live in what the United Nations (UN) classifies as "slums."SummaryIn 1950, only 86 cities around the world had populations of one million people or more. When Davis wrote this book in 2005, he predicted that by 2015... Read Planet of Slums Summary