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.

The Magic Lantern

by Timothy Garton Ash

Publication year 1990

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Justice, Conflict, Politics & Government

Tags European History, Politics & Government, World History, Travel Literature

The Magic Lantern is a 1989 work of narrative nonfiction by British historian Timothy Garton Ash. Garton Ash is a specialist in European studies with extensive experience writing about the history of Eastern Europe. The Magic Lantern is his third book on the region and followed several years of writing and reporting on Eastern European culture and politics under communism. He is currently Professor of European Studies in the University of Oxford, Isaiah Berlin Professorial... Read The Magic Lantern Summary

The Maid

by Nita Prose

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Grandparents, Coming of Age, Truth & Lies, Justice, Good & Evil

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

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The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett

Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Apathy, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, The Past, Beauty, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Art, Good & Evil, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Politics & Government, Social Class, Community, Immigration

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Roaring Twenties, Great Depression

Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (1930) is a detective novel that was first serialized in the magazine Black Mask. As Hammett’s third novel, The Maltese Falcon includes the introduction of Sam Spade as the protagonist, a departure from the nameless Continental Op who narrated his previous stories. Spade’s hard exterior, cool detachment, and reliance on his own moral code would become staples of the hardboiled genre, and The Maltese Falcon has since been named one... Read The Maltese Falcon Summary

The Managed Heart

by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Publication year 1983

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Hate & Anger, Joy, Mental Health, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Gender & Feminism, Social Science, Business & Economics, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

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The Man Made of Smoke

by Alex North

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction

... Read The Man Made of Smoke Summary

The Man Who Lived Underground

by Richard Wright

Publication year 1942

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Justice

Tags Race & Racism, African American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

“The Man Who Lived Underground” is a short story written by Black American writer Richard Wright. He originally conceived it as a novel. However, when he failed to secure a publisher, he shortened the story for publication in the literary journal Accent in 1942. A longer version was published as a novella in 1945 in Cross Section: A Collection of New American Writing. Wright died two months before the story’s inclusion in a 1961 anthology... Read The Man Who Lived Underground Summary

The Marvelous Land of Oz

by L. Frank Baum

Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

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The Mercy of Gods

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

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The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

by Howard Pyle

Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Friendship, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Classic Fiction, Poverty, Social Justice, Social Class, Medieval, Renaissance, Children`s Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood is a much-beloved adventure novel by Howard Pyle (1853-1911), published in 1883. Pyle, an American illustrator and children’s author, wove together several of the early ballads about the famed medieval outlaw Robin Hood and his companions, the Merry Men, in an episodic and entertaining plot aimed at young readers of the late nineteenth century. Written in a pseudo-archaic English actually modeled on Elizabethan-era English, the book reflects a colorful... Read The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Summary

The Message

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Publication year 2024

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Guilt, Hope, Race, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Justice, Literature, Truth & Lies

Tags US History, Race & Racism, African American Literature, Biography

... Read The Message Summary

The Midnight Feast

by Lucy Foley

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Revenge, The Past, Animals, Plants, Place, Friendship, Social Class, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

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

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The Mighty Red

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Fear, Grief, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Indigenous Identity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Climate, Environment, Plants, Marriage, Mothers, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Modern Classic Fiction

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The Million Dollar Shot

by Dan Gutman

Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Coming of Age, Family, Fathers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Humor

... Read The Million Dollar Shot Summary