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