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 Other Side of Truth

by Beverley Naidoo

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Family, Truth & Lies, Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction

The Other Side of Truth is a young adult novel by South African writer Beverley Naidoo that was published in 2000. The work is set in both Nigeria and in London, and it takes place after the 1995 Nigerian execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a writer and activist who spoke out against Nigeria’s military government’s corruption. Sade is the novel’s protagonist. The story is written in the third person, and it follows the journey of Sade... Read The Other Side of Truth Summary

The Other Slavery

by Andrés Reséndez

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Justice, Equality, Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags World History, US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, European History, Colonial America

The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America (First Mariners Books edition 2017) by Andrés Reséndez, a Mexican historian working at the University of California Davis, won the 2017 Bancroft Prize and was a finalist for the National Book Award. In this book, Reséndez dispels the myth that only African slaves faced enslavement in the Americas. He focuses on Indigenous slaves in the Caribbean, central and northern Mexico, and the American Southwest... Read The Other Slavery Summary

The Outcasts of Poker Flat

by Bret Harte

Publication year 1869

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Fate, Justice, Community

Tags Western, Naturalism, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction

“The Outcasts of Poker Flat,” a short story by American author Bret Harte, showcases the customs and dialect of American Western Regionalism. As one of the first American writers to popularize Regionalism, Harte paved the way for other writers in this movement. Originally written in 1869 and published in The Overland Monthly, the literary magazine of which Harte was the pioneering editor, the story thematically employs gambling terminology to depict the choices humans face when... Read The Outcasts of Poker Flat Summary

The Passengers

by John Marrs

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Future, Environment, Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

... Read The Passengers Summary

The Pelican Brief

by John Grisham

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Justice

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Business & Economics, Journalism, Politics & Government, Crime & Law, American Literature

The Pelican Brief is a 1992 novel by the American writer John Grisham. The legal thriller tells the story of Darby Shaw, a young law student who uncovers a vast conspiracy. The book was adapted into a film in 1993 starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.Other works by this author include The Client, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, Skipping Christmas, and Playing For Pizza.Plot SummaryAn assassin named Khamel kills two Supreme Court Justices. Though the Justices... Read The Pelican Brief Summary

The People Could Fly

by Virginia Hamilton

Publication year 1985

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Perseverance, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Guilt, Revenge, Memory, Death, Animals, Environment, Appearance & Reality, Food, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Fate, Race, Language, Regret, Shame & Pride, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Teamwork

Tags Fairy Tale & Folklore, Symbolic Narrative, US History, African American Literature, Race & Racism

... Read The People Could Fly Summary

The Perfect Shot

by Elaine Marie Alphin

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Perseverance, The Past, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Good & Evil

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Sports, Horror & Suspense, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

The Perfect Shot by Elaine Marie Alphin was published in 2005. Her 17th book, it won The Foreword Book of the Year Gold Medal for Young Adult Fiction and the VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Award. It was also a Bank Street College Teen Selection in 2006. In it, high school basketball player Brian Hammet works on a history project about the trial of Leo Frank. This historical event mirrors the current trial of Michael Daine... Read The Perfect Shot Summary

The Phantom of the Opera

by Gaston Leroux

Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Safety & Danger, Hate & Anger, Music, Love, Fear, Beauty, Nature Versus Nurture, Justice, Perseverance, Conflict, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Marriage, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Gratitude

Tags Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary

The Pillowman

by Martin McDonagh

Publication year 2003

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Mental Health, Siblings, Politics & Government, Art, Justice, Literature

Tags Horror & Suspense, Irish Literature, Drama

Martin McDonagh is a British Irish playwright and filmmaker known for his absurdist black humor. He drew inspiration for The Pillowman from his own personal affinity for fairytales and his realization that many children’s stories have subtly dark undertones. The play is about two brothers, Katurian and Michal, who are under investigation for a series of child murders that bear an uncanny resemblance to some of Katurian’s fictional stories.The Pillowman debuted its first public reading... Read The Pillowman Summary

The Plague

by Albert Camus

Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Community, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Health, Absurdism, French Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Philosophy

The Plague, a philosophical novel by French author Albert Camus, was first published in 1947 and immediately won the prix des Critiques, a literary prize awarded to Francophone authors by the French publishing industry. Having also published The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphus, and The Fall, Camus, an absurdist writer who wrote extensively in support of the French Resistance against Nazi Germany’s occupation of France, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957. In... Read The Plague Summary