With best-selling novels like Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible and influential academic texts such as Edward Said's Orientalism, this collection gathers books from across genres to explore the complex dynamics and lasting legacies of colonialism.
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Society: Colonialism
Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
The Bone People (1984) by Keri Hulme was the first New Zealand novel to receive the Booker Prize. It also earned a number of other awards, including the 1984 New Zealand Book Award and the Pegasus Award for Maori Literature. A native of Christchurch, Hulme grew up on the South Island. She comes from a large, diverse, multicultural family of English, Scottish, and Maori descent. After finishing high school, the writer began working as a... Read The Bone People Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, History: World
Publication year 1975
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Book of Sand” by Jorge Luis Borges is a short story dealing with humankind’s inability to grasp the infinite, whether in spirituality or in physical reality. Borges is one of the most well-known Latin American authors, as well as one of the most notable postmodernists of the 20th century. Like much of Borges’s work, “The Book of Sand” contains themes and motifs of the infinite, the nature of literature, spirituality, and postcolonial thought. “The... Read The Book of Sand Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Self Discovery
Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature
Publication year 1959
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: War, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, Anthropology, Grief / Death, Military / War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Latin American Literature, Education, Education, Anthropology
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Gender / Feminism, American Literature, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, LGBTQ
The Color Purple is an epistolary novel—a novel told in letter form—in which Alice Walker traces the gradual liberation of Celie, a poor, Black woman who must overcome abuse and separation from her beloved sister Nettie. Set in the South and an unnamed African country during the 1930 to 1940s, the novel is a study in the ways in which Black women use their faith, relationships, and creativity to survive racial and sexual oppression. Several... Read The Color Purple Summary
Publication year 1972
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Globalization, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Economics, Identity: Indigenous
Tags History: World, Science / Nature, Anthropology, History: U.S., Anthropology, Business / Economics
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: World, Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 1990
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Nation, Life/Time: The Future, Society: War, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Business / Economics, Finance / Money / Wealth, Leadership/Organization/Management, Social Science, History: World, Politics / Government
The Competitive Advantage of Nations is a 1990 work of economics by American author Michael E. Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and expert in corporate competitive strategy whose influential works are frequently cited in business and economics. In this book, Porter dismantles traditional economic theories about how well a nation fares in global competition (factor costs and macro-economic policy) and proposes a model that focuses on active and malleable factors of business rather than... Read The Competitive Advantage Of Nations Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature, Georgian Era
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Health / Medicine, Asian Literature
Publication year 2009
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Gender / Feminism, Arts / Culture, Diversity, Education, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 1971
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics / Government
The Day of the Jackal is a 1971 thriller by Frederick Forsyth. The novel is centered around a professional assassin, known only as the Jackal, who is hired by a French paramilitary group to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle. Forsyth’s realistic, research-based writing style builds suspense through a detailed account of the cat-and-mouse chase that spans across Europe, showcasing the complexities of security and espionage during a tumultuous political era. The novel has been... Read The Day of the Jackal Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, History: World
Publication year 1824
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Allegory / Fable / Parable, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Arts / Culture, History: U.S., American Literature, Colonial America
Publication year 1987
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Femininity, Society: Community
Tags History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Colonial America, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1964
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: World, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Discarded Image is a 1964 nonfiction book that explores the literary landscape of Europe during the Medieval Era. Lewis, who is best known for his children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia, was also a literature professor at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as one of the most widely celebrated Christian apologists of his time. Published shortly after his death, The Discarded Image explores how medieval writers and... Read The Discarded Image Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Nation, Society: Education, Self Discovery, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Free verse, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, History: African , African American Literature, History: World