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 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Past
Tags History: European, History: The Americas, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: U.S., Latin American Literature, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Globalization, Society: War, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: African , Politics / Government, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World, Biography
Lt. General Roméo Dallaire is a Canadian officer who was assigned as the force commander in the United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda (UNAMIR), a UN peacekeeping mission to facilitate negotiations after the Rwandan Civil War. He wrote about his experiences witnessing the breakdown of the peace process and the Rwandan Genocide in Shake Hands With The Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. Published in 2003, the book won the 2004 Governor General’s Award... Read Shake Hands with the Devil Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Colonialism
Tags Magical Realism, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1936
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Biography
“Shooting an Elephant,” is an essay by British author George Orwell, first published in the magazine New Writing in 1936. Orwell, born Eric Blair, is world-renowned for his sociopolitical commentary. He served as a British officer in Burma from 1922 to 1927, then worked as a journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and essayist for the remainder of his career, going on to produce celebrated works such as Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949). Before penning this... Read Shooting an Elephant Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Disability, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, Disability
Publication year 1970
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Identity: Gender, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: U.S., Children's Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Scott O’Dell’s children’s novel Sing Down the Moon (1970) is a work of historical fiction focusing on a mid-19th-century Navajo teen girl who calls herself Bright Morning. She and her people live as shepherds and farmers in Canyon de Chelly in Arizona. Bright Morning faces a series of trials in the novel: First, she is taken captive and sold into slavery; after she escapes home, white soldiers force her people to leave their village and... Read Sing Down the Moon Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fame, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Prose poetry, Free verse, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Music, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1966
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Heinemann African Writers, African Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, Education, Education
Publication year 2011
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags History: Middle Eastern, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Nation, Identity: Race
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Southern Literature, Immigration / Refugee, History: World, Travel Literature, Politics / Government
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Speaker for the Dead (1986) is the second book in the Ender sextet written by Orson Scott Card. Card is a renowned American science fiction author and has won numerous awards for his writing, including four for Speaker of the Dead—the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel, the Science Fiction Chronicle Reader Award for Best Novel, and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel.Speaker for the Dead is set... Read Speaker for the Dead Summary
Publication year 1775
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Revolution, Colonial America
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, History: African , Children's Literature, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Food
Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science is a non-fiction history book written for young adults that was first published in 2010. It is primarily about how the cultivation of sugar has impacted societies across the world socially, economically, and culturally. The book is written by historian Marc Aronson and novelist Marina Budhos. It was a finalist for both the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the YALSA Excellence... Read Sugar Changed the World Summary
Publication year 1930
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Publication year 1985
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Society: Colonialism
Tags Anthropology, Food, Education, Education, Anthropology, Business / Economics, History: World