Power

This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.

Petals of Blood

by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Publication year 1977

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Colonialism, Education, Nation, Power & Greed

Tags African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, African American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is a historical fiction novel that was first published in 1977. Ngũgĩ is a Kenyan author who has written novels, plays, short stories, and essays that typically center on Kenyan and African politics and the effects of colonialism and neocolonialism on the region. Petals of Blood explores the lives of Kenyans after the Mau Mau Rebellion and subsequent independence in the small village of Ilmorog, as well as its development... Read Petals of Blood Summary

Peter and the Starcatchers

by Dave Barry

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Colonialism, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Power & Greed, Community

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Action & Adventure, Humor, Children`s Literature, Coming of Age, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Poverty, American Literature

... Read Peter and the Starcatchers Summary

Petrified Man

by Eudora Welty

Publication year 1941

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Beauty, Power & Greed

Tags Southern Gothic, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Born in 1909 in Jackson, Mississippi, Eudora Welty was a fiction writer and photographer who predominantly wrote about the American South. After finishing college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Welty spent her entire adult life in Jackson, and her stories often reflect the intimacies of everyday Mississippi life. Published in 1939, “Petrified Man” is a Southern Gothic short story that offers a glimpse of an average morning for two women at a hair salon in... Read Petrified Man Summary

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

Playground

by Richard Powers

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Conflict, Perseverance, Masculinity, Death, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Wins & Losses

Tags Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Playground Summary

Poor Things

by Alasdair Gray

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Satirical Literature, Postmodernism, Gothic Literature, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

... Read Poor Things Summary

Poppy

by Avi

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed, Family, Friendship

Tags Children`s Literature, Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Animals, Education, Education

... Read Poppy Summary

Possession

by A. S. Byatt

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Literature, Memory, Femininity, The Past, Objects & Materials, Teamwork, Art, Beauty, Fame, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Postmodernism

A. S. Byatt’s novel Possession: A Romance, published in 1990, is a work of historical fiction that combines the elements of literary mystery and romance. The novel won the Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in English-language literature. Its narrative unfolds along two parallel timelines. In 1986, two young scholars, Roland Michell and Maud Bailey, discover a secret love affair between the eminent Victorian poet Randolph Henry Ash and the lesser-known Christabel LaMotte... Read Possession Summary

Powerful

by Lauren Roberts

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Love, Friendship, Social Class, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read Powerful Summary

Powerless

by Matthew Cody

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Power & Greed

Tags Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction

... Read Powerless Summary