Nation & Nationalism

These texts explore the concept of the nation, an idea of community that inspires patriotism and nostalgia. What makes a nation? And why are people willing to die—or to kill—to protect it? These are just a couple of the questions examined in the texts in this collection.

Heart of a Dog

by Mikhail Bulgakov

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Coming of Age, Animals, Nature Versus Nurture, Social Class, Nation, War, Science & Technology

Tags Satirical Literature, Science Fiction, Russian Literature, Symbolic Narrative

The Heart of a Dog (1925) is a novella by Russian author and playwright Mikhail Bulgakov. During his lifetime, Bulgakov was celebrated as a playwright in the Soviet Union, but his works often faced censorship by authorities due to their satirical critiques of Soviet life and government. The Heart of a Dog is a satirical science fiction tale of a surgeon who uses organ transplants to transform a stray dog into a man. It deals... Read Heart of a Dog Summary

Hebrew Bible

by Anonymous

Publication year -600

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Future, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Marriage, Community, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature

The Hebrew Bible is the standard canon of Jewish sacred texts, composed in a period that falls across the second and first millennia BCE. It is also referred to as the Tanakh, an acrostic portmanteau of the three major sections of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah (“teaching”), the Nevi’im (“prophets”), and the Ketuvim (“writings”). The Hebrew Bible is a collection of 24 major texts, in which there are 39 books. These 39 books correspond to... Read Hebrew Bible Summary

Heir

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Henry V

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1599

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Nation, Coming of Age, War

Tags Classic Fiction, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Drama, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature

Henry V is a play by English playwright William Shakespeare, believed to have premiered in 1599. It is best preserved in the 1623 publication of Shakespeare’s work known as the First Folio. Shakespeare’s surviving work includes 10 history plays focusing on the history and kings of England 1399-1485 and based on actual events. Henry V is the fifth of these chronologically and focuses on King Henry V of England, specifically on the events surrounding the... Read Henry V Summary

Hitler's Daughter

by Jackie French

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Nation, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Military & War, World History, Christian

Hitler’s Daughter is a historical fiction middle-grade novel written by Jackie French. It is part of the Hitler trilogy and was originally published in 1999. Jackie French is an Australian author, environmental activist, and historian, and her books have won over 60 awards internationally. Hitler’s Daughter was named a Blue Ribbon Book and a Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year for Younger Readers. It was also adapted into a play. The... Read Hitler's Daughter Summary

Homeless Bird

by Gloria Whelan

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Plants, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History, Indian Literature

Homeless Bird, a novel written by Gloria Whelan and published in 2000, was a New York Times Best Seller and winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Marketed to middle grade readers, the novel has elements of historical fiction in its portrayal of cultural customs in India. Homeless Bird tells the story of Koly, a 13-year-old girl whose arranged marriage leads to her untimely widowhood. Through Koly’s coming-of-age journey from helplessness to... Read Homeless Bird Summary

Hope In The Dark

by Rebecca Solnit

Publication year 2004

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Community, Globalization, Economics, Politics & Government, Nation, Colonialism, War, Environment

Tags Social Justice, Politics & Government, Gender & Feminism, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy

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House Made of Dawn

by N. Scott Momaday

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Apathy, Perseverance, Loneliness, Love, Place, Animals, Religion & Spirituality, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Social Justice, World History

The novel House Made of Dawn, by N. Scott Momaday, was first published in 1968. Heralded as a major landmark in the emergence of Indigenous American literature, the novel won the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. House Made of Dawn blends fictional and nonfictional elements to depict life on an Indigenous American reservation like the one where Momaday grew up.This guide uses an eBook version of the 2018 First Harper Perennial Modern Classics (50th Anniversary)... Read House Made of Dawn Summary

How the Irish Saved Civilization

by Thomas Cahill

Publication year 1995

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Globalization, Religion & Spirituality, Education

Tags European History, Irish Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Medieval, World History

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a popular history by Irish American author Thomas Cahill, published in 1995. The book argues that Ireland’s conversion to Christianity was instrumental in preserving the remnants of classical culture that survived in Western Europe after the Roman Empire’s demise. The book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for... Read How the Irish Saved Civilization Summary

How to Stand Up to a Dictator

by Maria Ressa

Publication year 2022

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Sexual Identity, Teamwork, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Education, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Literature, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Politics & Government, Asian History, Journalism, Social Justice, World History, Biography

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Hum If You Don't Know the Words

by Bianca Marais

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Revenge, Race, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags World History, Arts & Culture, Historical Fiction, Race & Racism

... Read Hum If You Don't Know the Words Summary