Community

A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Language, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Class, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Relationships, French Literature

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery was published in 2006 and translated by Alison Anderson into English for publication in 2008. The novel has been translated into more than 40 languages and was a major bestseller in France. The novel was adapted into a film called The Hedgehog (Le Hérisson) in 2009 to critical acclaim. The Elegance of the Hedgehog follows the narrative point of view of two erudite narrators: Renée, a concierge... Read The Elegance of the Hedgehog Summary


Publication year 1912

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Society: Community

Tags Philosophy, Sociology, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1979

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community

Tags Play: Drama, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Disability, Health / Medicine, Relationships, Victorian Period, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Elephant Man, a one-act play by American playwright Bernard Pomerance, was first produced in London at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977. The play transferred to New York and played Off-Broadway in 1979, moving to Broadway three months later, where it ran successfully for two years. The play won many awards with its Broadway debut, including a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, and... Read The Elephant Man Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature


Publication year 1999

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community

Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Biography

The Elephant Whisperer: My Life With the Herd in the African Wild (2009) is a memoir by Lawrence Anthony, detailing his experiences with rehabilitating a traumatized herd of elephants on his game reserve in South Africa. The book explores themes of bonding and communicating with animals, the inherent interconnectedness of nature, and the challenges of conservation efforts.Anthony was an internationally renowned conservationist and environmentalist. He was the co-owner and head of conservation at the Thula... Read The Elephant Whisperer Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2014

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Psychology, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse

The Empathy Exams: Essays by Leslie Jamison is a collection of nonfiction essays that are connected thematically by pain and caring. Jamison uses a combination of personal experiences and journalistic approaches to ponder essential questions about both physical and emotional wounds, tenderness, and how people connect through pain. First published in April 2014, this collection premiered at #11 on the New York Times bestseller list and has received considerable acclaim from reviewers across the world... Read The Empathy Exams Summary


Publication year 1968

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family

Tags History: World, WWII / World War II, Relationships, Russian Literature, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, Historical Fiction

The Endless Steppe is a young adult memoir in which Esther Hautzig, the author, details her five-year exile in Siberia, from June 1941 to March 1946. When the American politician and diplomat Adlai E. Stevenson visited the village of Rubtsovsk and wrote about it, Esther Hautzig wrote to him to tell him about her time living there. Stevenson suggested that Esther write about her experience. Published in 1968, during the Cold War, the book resonated... Read The Endless Steppe Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community

Tags Sociology, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government

In The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time (2005), leading economist Jeffrey D. Sachs draws on his extensive global experience to identify a path to end extreme poverty within 20 years. This work is inspired by, and in some ways modeled after, the classic John Maynard Keynes essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren (1930). In the depths of the Great Depression, Keynes outlined a pathway to ending poverty in the industrialized countries near... Read The End of Poverty Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Globalization, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, History: U.S., Agriculture, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Technology, Urban Development


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II

The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Historical Fiction, Chinese Literature


Publication year 1974

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community

Tags Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2011

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Technology


Publication year 1978

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Relationships, Mental Illness, Self Help


Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, African Literature, Poverty, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Classic Fiction

Written in a style that evokes the oral tradition of storytelling, The Famished Road, by Nigerian writer Ben Okri, follows the peripatetic adventures of Azaro, a young boy who is finding his way amid the poverty and political passions of a newly independent nation. Winner of the prestigious Booker Prize in 1991, the novel presents an allegorical tale of both the pitfalls and the promise latent in the post-colonial moment. Nigeria was one of the... Read The Famished Road Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, American Revolution


Publication year 1961

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community

Tags Anthropology, Action / Adventure, Education, Education, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Travel Literature

In The Forest People, anthropologist Colin M. Turnbull describes his experiences while living as a friend and observer with the BaMbuti (Pygmies) of the Ituri Forest. He shares the everyday lives of the Pygmies located in the Epulu River region and their interactions with each other and with him. The setting is the Belgian Congo, which Turnbull describes as located in the center of Africa. Turnbull had visited the Epulu BaMbuti in 1951. This narrative... Read The Forest People Summary