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 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

The Visit

by Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Publication year 1956

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Revenge, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Tragedy, Comedy & Satire, German Literature

The Visit, by Swiss author and playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt, premiered in 1956 at the Schauspielhaus Zürich under the German title Der Besuch der alten Dame, or The Visit of the Old Lady. Dürrenmatt’s darkly comic satiric plays are credited with helping revitalize German theatre following World War II. His writing also reveals the influence of German playwright Bertolt Brecht, notably in Dürrenmatt’s use of parables: simple stories using human characters to illustrate a lesson or... Read The Visit Summary

The Warsaw Orphan

by Kelly Rimmer

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Gender Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Nation, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags World War II, Military & War, Historical Fiction, European History

... Read The Warsaw Orphan Summary

The Wave

by Todd Strasser

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Education, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Psychology, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Psychology, Classic Fiction

The Wave is a 1981 young adult novel by Todd Strasser (originally written under the pseudonym Morton Rhue). A novelization of a teleplay by Johnny Dawkins for the 1981 made-for-TV movie of the same name, the story is a fictionalized account of a 1967 social experiment called “The Third Wave,” which took place at a high school in Palo Alto, California. In the novel, the experiment unfolds at the fictional Gordon High School. The story... Read The Wave Summary

The Whistler

by John Grisham

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Social Justice, Crime & Law, Politics & Government

The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary

The White Devil

by John Webster

Publication year 1612

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Femininity, Social Class, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Tragedy, Jacobean Era

First performed onstage in 1612, The White Devil is a revenge tragedy that is loosely based on the murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Italy in 1585. The full title of the play is The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Bracciano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan). The play has been performed many times but has not been adapted for film. This guide refers... Read The White Devil Summary

The White House

by Claude McKay

Publication year 1919

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Justice, Equality, Truth & Lies, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Fear, Perseverance, Conflict, Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Race & Racism, Social Justice

... Read The White House Summary

The Widow

by John Grisham

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Midlife, Death, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Widow Summary

The Wind Knows My Name

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Apathy, Shame & Pride, Family, Justice, Equality, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Politics & Government, Immigration

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Social Class, World History, History of the Americas, US History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

... Read The Wind Knows My Name Summary

The Witch Elm

by Tana French

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Justice, Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Family, Nature Versus Nurture, Disability, Memory, Hate & Anger, Fear

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

The Witch Elm (2018) is a psychological crime thriller by best-selling American Irish author Tana French. The story follows Toby Hennessy, who unearths harmful family secrets while salvaging his identity after a traumatic assault. A standalone novel separate from French’s award-winning Dublin Murder Squad series, The Witch Elm appeared on NPR’s list of best books from 2018 and the New York Times’s notable books of 2018. Other works by this author include The Trespasser (2016)... Read The Witch Elm Summary

The Woman in Suite 11

by Ruth Ware

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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

... Read The Woman in Suite 11 Summary