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 1940
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Class, Politics / Government, Poverty, British Literature, Christian literature, History: World
Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory (originally published in 1940) recounts the tragic story of the whisky priest. His religion has been outlawed, his faith shattered, and his history—like his name—all but erased. He’s relentlessly pursued by the lieutenant, whose secular beliefs are as passionate as others’ spiritual beliefs. The priest’s mere presence endangers those he once served, and he constantly struggles to fulfill his duty to bring comfort and absolution to others at... Read The Power and the Glory Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Environment
Tags Military / War, Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Politics / Government
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power is an influential work by Daniel Yergin that was originally published in 1991. Yergin, a highly regarded American historian and economic researcher, examines the history and influence of the global oil industry. With a background in energy economics and policy, Yergin brings a wealth of expertise to this comprehensive examination, providing a detailed narrative of the oil industry’s evolution and its substantial impact on global... Read The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, History: African , Social Justice, Race / Racism, African Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2013
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Military / War, Vietnam War, British Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a... Read The Quiet American Summary
Publication year 1991
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., American Revolution, Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World
The Radicalism of the American Revolution (1991) is a non-fiction book written by American historian and Brown University professor Gordon S. Wood. Most revolutions are an act of violence that result in deaths, property destruction, and a world turned upside down. Americans do not see the American Revolution this way. The American founding fathers were educated men who wrote pamphlets and spoke openly in legislative halls. As the story goes, they were gentlemen, not radicals... Read The Radicalism of the American Revolution Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Social Justice, Indian Literature, History: The Americas, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Publication year 171
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Military / War, Ancient Rome, Classical Period
Publication year 1965
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags African Literature, Historical Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, African American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
The River Between is Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s second novel and was published in 1965 after his debut title, Weep Not, Child. While The River Between is widely interpreted as an anticolonial work, its denouncement of colonial institutions is subtler than that of Ngugi’s later, more critical works on colonialism. His later novels were originally written in the Gikuyu language rather than in English; discourse surrounding the modern-day role of African literature is ongoing... Read The River Between Summary
Publication year 1979
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Place
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1907
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Satire, British Literature
The Secret Agent is a novel by British Polish writer Joseph Conrad, first published in 1907. Set in London in 1886, it portrays Adolf Verloc as the titular secret agent who works for a powerful but unnamed country, likely Russia. The novel has been adapted for film and television under various titles. This guide uses the 2008 Oxford World Classic’s edition of The Secret Agent. Content warning: This text discusses suicide, abuse, and ableism.Plot SummaryAdolf... Read The Secret Agent Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 1987
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: African , Religion / Spirituality, Race / Racism, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
The Setting Sun and the Rolling World is a short story collection published in 1987 by Zimbabwean author Charles Mungoshi. Across 17 stories, Mungoshi explores profound cultural divides in his native country between tradition and modernization, rural and urban life, and colonialism and African nationalism. Although the characters are different in each piece, taken together the stories comprise a coming-of-age narrative, as the protagonist of each tale is generally a little older and more experienced... Read The Setting Sun and the Rolling World Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Society: War
Tags African American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: African
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Education, Education, Christian literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality