Colonialism & Postcolonialism

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.

The Message

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Publication year 2024

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, African American Literature, Biography

... Read The Message Summary

The Middle Ground

by Richard White

Publication year 1991

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Identity: Indigenous

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Anthropology, American Literature, History: World

... Read The Middle Ground Summary

The Mighty Red

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Mighty Red Summary

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins

Publication year 1868

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period

The Moonstone is a Victorian mystery novel by the English writer Wilkie Collins. It was originally published in serial installments between January and August 1868. The Moonstone is sometimes considered one of the first detective novels in English, with its suspenseful and dramatic plot building on the success Collins had achieved with an earlier mystery novel, The Woman in White (1860). Throughout The Moonstone, Collins explores the themes of Public Reputation Versus Inner Nature, The... Read The Moonstone Summary

The Mosquito Coast

by Paul Theroux

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Travel Literature, Classic Fiction

The Mosquito Coast, published in 1981 by Paul Theroux, is an adventure story narrated by 13-year-old Charlie Fox, the son of a brilliant inventor who uproots his family to establish a self-sustaining settlement in the jungles of Honduras. Writing in the tradition of novels like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Robinson Crusoe, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Lord of the Flies, Theroux cited the Jonestown Massacre and the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith as influences in... Read The Mosquito Coast Summary

The Mountain in the Sea

by Ray Nayler

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Animals

... Read The Mountain in the Sea Summary

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1838

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is Edgar Allan Poe’s only complete novel. The first two installments were published in 1837 in the Southern Literary Messenger magazine, where Poe was an editor. After leaving the Messenger, he continued working on the novel intermittently until it was published as a complete text in 1838. It brings together various literary genres—including the adventure story, coming-of-age narrative, and scientific guidebook— and infuses them with an... Read The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket Summary

The Night Tiger

by Yangsze Choo

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism

Tags Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, Fantasy

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo was published in 2020. Like Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride (2013), The Night Tiger is a mixture of genres, including mythology and historical fiction, and it is a New York Times bestseller. The Night Tiger chronicles the period between May and July of 1931. The setting is colonial-era Malaysia, or “Malaya.”Plot SummaryChinese house servant Ren, is a 10-year-old orphan who’s mourning the death of his master, Dr. MacFarlane... Read The Night Tiger Summary

The Night Wanderer

by Drew Hayden Taylor

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

... Read The Night Wanderer Summary

The Origins of the Modern World

by Robert B. Marks

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, History: World, History: European, Politics / Government

... Read The Origins of the Modern World Summary

The Other Slavery

by Andrés Reséndez

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags History: World, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, History: European, 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 Outside Circle

by Patti LaBoucane-Benson, Transl. Kelly Mellings

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Incarceration, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Outside Circle Summary

The Painted Veil

by W. Somerset Maugham

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Chinese Literature

The Painted Veil (1925) is the 11th novel by British novelist and playwright William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). He obtained the title from the opening lines of an untitled sonnet by British Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, posthumously published in 1824: “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life” (Shelley, Percy Bysshe. “Lift Not the Painted Veil.” 1824. Reprint. The Reader, 6 Feb. 2017. Accessed 17 Jul. 2022). The novel originally appeared... Read The Painted Veil Summary

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck

Publication year 1947

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Family

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Historical Fiction, Education, Education

The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor... Read The Pearl Summary

The People in the Trees

by Hanya Yanagihara

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Fantasy

... Read The People in the Trees Summary