Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Society: Class, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal

The Street Lawyer, by John Grisham, was originally published by Bantam Books in January 1998. Grisham’s ninth novel, The Street Lawyer occupied a spot in Grisham’s streak of top-ten bestselling novels, which began with the record-breaking success of his second novel, The Firm, and lasted over two decades. Prior to penning his first novel, A Time to Kill, Grisham earned a JD from University of Mississippi School of Law and practiced civil and criminal trial... Read The Street Lawyer Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages


Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Mythology


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 -1800

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Ancient Egypt


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education

Tags Action / Adventure, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education


Publication year 1759

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) secured its author’s place as one of history’s most celebrated philosophers. Like all great works of moral philosophy, Smith’s book belongs to a tradition that dates to antiquity. The Theory of Moral Sentiments, however, is probably best understood in the context of the 18th-century Scottish Enlightenment, for its argument helps reconcile two otherwise conflicting ideas advanced by two of that era’s intellectual titans. Furthermore, The Theory of... Read The Theory of Moral Sentiments 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 1949

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, British Literature

English writer Graham Greene penned his novella The Third Man to work out the finer details of the plot and setting for the screenplay of Carol Reed’s 1949 film of the same name. (In writing screenplays, Greene preferred to work from source material in story format.) Although publication of the novella wasn’t originally planned, the film was such a huge commercial and critical success that the novella was published in 1950. The film The Third... Read The Third Man Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Jewish Literature, Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags History: U.S., Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Social Justice, African American Literature, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1928

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, Classic Fiction, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Satire, Drama / Tragedy, Race / Racism, Immigration / Refugee, American Literature

Published in 1995, The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle tells the story of two couples living parallel lives in Southern California: Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, affluent white Americans with a home in the upper-middle-class subdivision of Arroyo Blanco; and Cándido and América Rincón, undocumented immigrants from Mexico living in a makeshift camp at the bottom of the canyon. Rotating among the perspectives of the four protagonists, the novel explores the inequality inherent in the United States... Read The Tortilla Curtain Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Lyric Poem, History: U.S., Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ, Social Justice

“The Tradition” by Jericho Brown is written from the perspective of a collective “we.” This group planted colorful perennial flowers, including aster, nasturtium, and delphinium (Line 1); filmed the flowers they planted blooming; then watched this video on fast forward (“Sped the video to see blossoms / brought in seconds,” Lines 11-12). At the end of the poem, the reader discovers that the collective “we” narrating the poem are Black men, and the sped-up video... Read The Tradition Summary


Publication year 1952

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Race / Racism, African Literature, Relationships

“The Train from Rhodesia” is a short story by Nadine Gordimer, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. The story originally appeared in The Soft Voice of the Serpent, her first collection of stories, published in 1953 and used as the basis for this study guide.The story takes place in a train station in an unnamed African village. The station is surrounded by beggars and by vendors selling carved wooden animals. A stationmaster... Read The Train From Rhodesia Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Community

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter


Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Absurdism, Philosophy, Jewish Literature, German Literature, History: World, Philosophy

Book DetailsThe Trial, an unfinished novel by Franz Kafka, was written in the 1910s and published posthumously in 1925. One of Kafka’s most famous works, it is a nightmarish story where the rules of reality are bent and twisted as the protagonist, Josef K., is prosecuted for a crime whose nature is never revealed to him. Literary Movement & Major ThemesWritten at a pivotal moment in European history, The Trial has become one of the... Read The Trial Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Humor, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction

The Twits (1980) by Roald Dahl is a fantastical and absurd children’s story about a mean couple and how they are eventually outsmarted by the animals they mistreat. The Big Read listed The Twits as one of the 200 greatest books of all time according to the British public in 2003, and in 2012, the Twits appeared on a commemorative postage stamp. The book was adapted for the stage in 2007, and an animated feature... Read The Twits Summary