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 1899
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, British Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure
Heart of Darkness (1899) is a novel by Joseph Conrad detailing the story of Marlow, the captain of a steamboat, who travels up the Congo River to find a man named Kurtz. The novel is set in what was then known as the Congo Free State, which was owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. It is loosely based on Conrad's own experiences of working for a Belgian trading company. While Conrad partially intended to... Read Heart of Darkness Summary
Publication year 1984
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism
Tags Lyric Poem, Latin American Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Natural World: Environment
Tags Social Justice, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Social Justice, History: World
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
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Inspirational
Publication year 1971
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Business / Economics, History: African , Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, History: World, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Arts / Culture
Published in 2013 by Tim Tingle, How I Became a Ghost is a work of middle grade fiction that follows a young boy in the Choctaw nation and his death on the Trail of Tears. The Choctaw Trail of Tears refers to The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced relocation of Choctaws from their homes in the deep south to areas further west. How I Became a Ghost has received an American Indian... Read How I Became a Ghost Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags American Literature, History: U.S., Politics / Government, History: World, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Politics / Government, History: Asian, Journalism, Social Justice, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Survival Fiction, LGBTQ
Publication year 1989
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
Hyperion (1989) is Dan Simmons’s first novel in his four-part science fiction series, Hyperion Cantos. Set several hundred years in the future, Hyperion follows seven people, who have been selected to make the final pilgrimage to the terrifying Shrike creature on the mysterious Outback world of Hyperion before the Ouster invasion. On the voyage to the planet, the pilgrims tell their stories about their connection to Hyperion. This frame-story structure is based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s... Read Hyperion Summary
Publication year 1968
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Self Help, Parenting, Sociology
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Indigenous, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Arts / Culture, Diversity, History: The Americas, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation
Tags Anthropology, Indian Literature, Travel Literature, History: Middle Eastern, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
In an Antique Land (1992) is a book written by Amitav Ghosh which interweaves descriptions of his experiences in rural Egypt in the 1980s with an attempt to reconstruct the life of a 12th-century Jewish merchant and Bomma, an Indian man he enslaved. Ghosh is a renowned Indian author, known for his ability to combine genres and employ complex narrative strategies to examine national and personal identity. He employs these strategies in In an Antique... Read In an Antique Land Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Immigration / Refugee
Publication year 1924
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Colonialism, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, History: World
One of his several short stories set in Northern Michigan, “Indian Camp” by Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was first published in a 1924 issue of the Parisian literary magazine Transatlantic Review. The next year, “Indian Camp” was included in Hemingway’s first story collection, In Our Time. “Indian Camp” has since become one of Hemingway’s most heavily anthologized works. Based partly on Hemingway’s visits to Petoskey, Michigan, during childhood and young adulthood, “Indian Camp” follows young Nick... Read Indian Camp Summary
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Auto/Biographical Fiction, History: U.S., Colonial America, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction