These texts explore the concept of the nation, an idea of community that inspires patriotism and nostalgia. What makes a nation? And why are people willing to die—or to kill—to protect it? These are just a couple of the questions examined in the texts in this collection.
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Ancient Egypt, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1913
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Maria Chapdelaine (1916) is a novel by Breton author Louis Hémon. Maria Chapdelaine tells the story of its titular protagonist, a young woman who lives on her family’s farm in a remote stretch of Québec wilderness. Against the backdrop of a brutal and unpredictable climate, Maria must choose between three suitors who each represent different lifestyles: A trapper, a farmer, and a factory worker who has emigrated to the United States. Hémon explores The Hardships... Read Maria Chapdelaine Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Education, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Ancient Greece, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction
One of the founding documents of Western philosophy, Plato’s Meno recounts a dialog on the nature of virtue between Socrates and his pupil Meno, a rising star among the leaders of ancient Greece. They discuss how virtue can be recognized, where it comes from, and whether it can be taught.Meno takes place in 402 BCE in Athens; Plato, Socrates’s most famous student, in 385 BCE wrote down his recollection of the conversation. It offers a... Read Meno Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, New Adult, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government, Biography
Publication year 1966
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, American Literature, History: World
Miracle at Philadelphia is a 1969 work of history by Catherine Drinker Bowen. It is a detailed account of the Constitutional Convention that took place from May to September 1787 in Philadelphia, resulting in the original drafting of the United States Constitution. It remains one of the most highly regarded popular accounts of the Convention, especially for its rich portraits of the delegates that provides a vivid sense of political debates and social life.This study... Read Miracle At Philadelphia Summary
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Identity: Disability
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1823
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Colonial America, History: World
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Moon Over Manifest is a 2010 novel by author Claire Vanderpool. It relates the story of 12-year-old Abilene Tucker, a drifting girl in search of her father, a home, and a sense of belonging. When the novel starts, her father, Gideon Tucker, has just sent Abilene to the Kansas town of Manifest, claiming that he can’t take her to Iowa, where he is allegedly taking a railroad job. It is 1936, and the Great Depression... Read Moon Over Manifest Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Nation, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Politics / Government
Mornings in Jenin is a historical novel that spans the years between 1941 and 2003 and is focused on the Israeli invasion and occupation of Palestine. The author, Susan Abulhawa, is the child of Palestinian refugees and was brought up in several countries, including the United States. She writes the novel from the points of view of several members of a Palestinian family who lose their land, home, and loved ones. The novel relates the... Read Mornings in Jenin Summary
Publication year 1939
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Education, Education, African American Literature, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Moses, Man of the Mountain is an allegorical novel by African-American author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. The novel reimagines the life of Moses and the biblical narrative of the Exodus from Egypt with several important changes, including the use of African American dialect, slang, and folklore. Throughout the novel, Hurston draws allegorical parallels between the enslavement of the Hebrew people in Egypt and the enslavement of people of African descent in the United States... Read Moses, Man of the Mountain Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Historical Fiction, Class, Race / Racism
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Nation
Tags History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, History: World, Historical Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., History: World, Biography
Publication year 1880
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Realism, Realistic Fiction, Naturalism, Class, History: European, French Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: Nation
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, Post-War Era, Southern Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Biography
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Social Science, Politics / Government, Sociology
Publication year 1994
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Travel Literature, Creative Nonfiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Biography
Neither Wolf Nor Dog: On Forgotten Roads with an Indian Elder is a memoir by American author Kent Nerburn. The book describes a road trip Nerburn took with two Lakota men, weaving Nerburn’s personal experiences with lengthy speeches from the men on indigenous history and culture. Major themes in the book include The Role of Language in Oppression, The Lasting Trauma of America’s Violence Against Indigenous Communities at the hands of white colonizers, and The... Read Neither Wolf Nor Dog Summary