Books on Justice & Injustice

James Baldwin said, "It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have." In this collection, we've compiled texts that explore the idea of what justice is — and how it can thrive.

Publication year -423

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Ancient Greece, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality

Clouds is an Attic Comedy by Aristophanes (circa 450-385 BCE). The play was initially produced at the City Dionysia in 423 BCE, where it placed third in a drama festival. Aristophanes subsequently worked on a revision that he never completed, and it is this incomplete revision that represents the surviving text of the play known today. Clouds centers on the character of Strepsiades and his ill-conceived attempt to learn sophistry, or fallacious arguments, from Socrates... Read The Clouds Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Western, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

The Cold Dish is a 2004 western mystery novel by Craig Johnson. The first of a series featuring Walt Longmire, sheriff of the fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming, the novel explores concepts related to legal and vigilante justice, including within the context of an Indigenous community. The Cold Dish earned Johnson a nomination for the Dilys Award, and the series was later adapted into a 2012 television series called Longmire, which was a critical and popular... Read The Cold Dish Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World, Politics / Government


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government

Richard Rothstein’s The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2017) is a historical study of how the US government and legal system implemented and enforced de jure segregation. This guide cites the 2017 Kindle edition, and all pagination refers to location numbers.Rothstein challenges the belief that segregation was de facto, or the result of individual choices. Rather, he shows how all levels of government created the system of residential... Read The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags History: World, Military / War, WWII / World War II, History: European, Politics / Government


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, History: U.S., Social Justice, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government

Khalil Gibran Muhammad’s book The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America is a nonfiction history published in 2010. Muhammad, an American historian specializing on race and public policy, studies the connections between Blackness, crime, and the makings of America’s urban North after the Civil War. The book has garnered significant accolade, winning awards such as the 2011 John Hope Franklin Publication Prize and landing on the Vera Institute of... Read The Condemnation of Blackness Summary


Publication year 1845

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Philosophy, Business / Economics, Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government

Considered one of the classics of social and political theory, Friedrich Engels’s The Condition of the Working Class in England (1845) is a thought-provoking work based on the author’s personal observations of English society. As the first text of its kind to address the effects of capitalism on workers, it was widely read upon publication, even influencing the theories of Karl Marx, with whom Engels would later write The Communist Manifesto.Employed as a representative of... Read The Condition of the Working Class in England Summary


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Social Justice, Incarceration, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism


Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Language

Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Diversity, Social Justice


Publication year 1904

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Classic Fiction, Humor, American Literature, Education, Education, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1937

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Society: Community

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Race / Racism, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, Fantasy


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Globalization, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Western, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Southern Literature, Race / Racism, African American Literature, History: World

The Darkest Child (2004) is a coming-of-age historical fiction novel by Delores Phillips. The teenage protagonist and first-person narrator, Tangy Mae Quinn faces racism and segregation in the Jim Crow South, as well as domestic abuse, poverty, and nonconsensual sex work. Despite these challenges, Tangy finds eventual escape when she leaves her abusive mother, Rozelle, and her past behind her to pursue her own goals, which are rooted in education. The novel explores The Role... Read The Darkest Child Summary


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1776

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Nation

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding documents of the United States of America. The text was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson in June of 1776 after the Second Continental Congress appointed him the chair of the Committee of Five (the others were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman), a group designated to draft a statement declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain. Jefferson based his draft on existing... Read The Declaration of Independence Summary


Publication year 1937

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Written by American author Stephen Vincent Benét, “The Devil and Daniel Webster” is a variation on the Faust myth. Benét’s story tackles themes such as The Devil in America, Patriotism and the Limits of Loyalty, and The Nature of Justice. The story first appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in 1936, though it was later republished in Benét’s collection of stories titled Thirteen O’Clock in 1937. The story subsequently received the O. Henry Award, earning... Read The Devil and Daniel Webster Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Sociology, History: World, Politics / Government