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 1855
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, American Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Agriculture, History: U.S., Science / Nature
Publication year 1885
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Survival Fiction, Military / War, Asian Literature, History: World
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Animals, Action / Adventure
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting is a classic children’s book first published in 1920. Lofting, an English author and former civil engineer, crafted his tale of an eccentric doctor who learns to talk to animals by drawing on his experiences in the British Empire during World War I. Lofting’s story, which began as letters home to his children to escape the harsh wartime realities, belongs to the fantasy genre and has captivated... Read The Story of Doctor Dolittle Summary
Publication year 1927
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Class, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Indian Literature, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, History: Asian, History: World, Health / Medicine, Poverty, Military / War, Race / Racism, Relationships, Social Justice
The Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more widely known as Mahatma Gandhi. A key political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement, Gandhi penned this work to narrate his quest for truth and the principles that underpinned his life’s journey. Originally published in 1927, this memoir provides a meticulous account of Gandhi’s spiritual, moral, and political evolution. The literary era in which this was... Read The Story of My Experiments with Truth Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, History: Asian, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1942
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Philosophy, Relationships, Race / Racism, French Literature, Absurdism, Education, Education, History: World, Philosophy
The Stranger is a short novel by French author Albert Camus, published in 1942. The story combines themes of absurdism and existentialism and is considered a classic of 20th-century literature. This guide uses the translation by Stuart Gilbert.Plot SummaryMeursault, a young man living in Algiers, receives a message which tells him that his mother has died. He takes a bus to the retirement home where she lived and stays with her body before the funeral... Read The Stranger Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1611
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Play: Drama, Modern Classic Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, Romance, Relationships, Race / Racism, British Literature, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy
The Tempest is a comic play by William Shakespeare. It is one of Shakespeare’s most popular works, along with Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, among others. The Tempest recounts the story of Prospero, the overthrown duke of Milan, who maroons his betrayers on a magical island. There, he creates spells and enchantments that toy with the evildoers until they promise to restore his throne. The production, first staged in London in... Read The Tempest Summary
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, African American Literature, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction
The Temple of My Familiar (1989) is a novel by Alice Walker. It follows the intersecting lives of multiple characters across countries and lifetimes, exploring the themes of The Feminine Experience, The Historical Trauma of Colonization, and Spirituality in the Diaspora.Alice Walker is an internationally acclaimed and celebrated writer, poet, and activist. Her novel The Color Purple won a National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983. Characters from this classic feature... Read The Temple of My Familiar Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Immigration / Refugee, Post-War Era, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Classic Fiction
Shirley Hazzard (1931-2016) was an Australian novelist and United Nations worker who settled in the United States. The Transit of Venus (1980) is Hazzard’s third novel and the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. It draws upon Hazzard’s own experiences of an Australian childhood, emigrating abroad, and being part of the first generation of working women. Critics responded to the juxtaposition of intimate, personal narratives with a broader examination of what... Read The Transit of Venus Summary
Publication year 1356
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science / Nature, History: World
Publication year 1839
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Place
Tags Travel Literature, Science / Nature, History: World
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Travel Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, British Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Edwardian Era, The Bloomsbury Group, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class
Tags Action / Adventure, History: World, Crime / Legal, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 1969
Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Narrative / Epic Poem, History: U.S., American Literature, Mythology, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
The Way to Rainy Mountain by Navarre Scott Momaday was first published in 1969. Momaday is a member of the Kiowa nation, a PhD-holding literary scholar, and a prominent American writer largely credited with initiating the Native American Literary Renaissance. On his father’s side, Momaday traces his family to Guipahgo (Lone Wolf), the last Principal Chief of the Kiowas, and this lineage features prominently in the book’s storytelling. The book is a work of creative... Read The Way to Rainy Mountain Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Mental Illness, Asian Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Fantasy