10 Eye-Opening Books on Social Issues and Identity

To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee’s classic novel – a black man falsely charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with exuberant humour the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina of one man’s struggle for justice. But the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a coming-of-age story, an anti-racist novel, a historical drama of the Great Depression and a sublime example of the Southern writing tradition. One of the most remarkable books on social issues and identity.

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Color Purple,” explores the lives of African American women in the early 20th century. Through the unforgettable character of Celie, Walker tackles issues of racism, sexism, and domestic abuse. The book’s powerful narrative and emotional depth invite readers to contemplate the intersections of race, gender, and identity, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. A huge one among the most remarkable books on social issues and identity.

Half of a Yellow Sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Winner of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007, this is a heartbreaking, exquisitely written literary masterpiece.

Ugwu, a boy from a poor village, works as a houseboy for a university professor. Olanna, a young woman, has abandoned her life of privilege in Lagos to live with her charismatic new lover, the professor. And Richard, a shy English writer, is in thrall to Olanna’s enigmatic twin sister. As the horrific Biafran War engulfs them, they are thrown together and pulled apart in ways they had never imagined.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s masterpiece, winner of the Orange Prize for Fiction, is a novel about Africa in a wider sense: about the end of colonialism, ethnic allegiances, class and race – and about the ways in which love can complicate all of these things. A modern one among books on social issues and identity.

The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas’s debut novel, “The Hate U Give,” addresses the pressing issue of police brutality and systemic racism through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Starr Carter. After witnessing the fatal shooting of her unarmed friend by a police officer, Starr finds herself torn between speaking out and protecting her community. This compelling and timely story encourages readers to examine the consequences of racial bias and the power of activism. For the young ones among books on social issues and identity.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford – her assigned name, Offred, means ‘of Fred’. She has only one function: to breed. If Offred refuses to enter into sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot eradicate hope and desire. As she recalls her pre-revolution life in flashbacks, Offred must navigate through the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present day, and between two men upon which her future hangs.

Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian fiction among books on social issues and identity.

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City – Matthew Desmond

Arleen spends nearly all her money on rent but is kicked out with her kids in Milwaukee’s coldest winter for years. Doreen’s home is so filthy her family call it ‘the rat hole’. Lamar, a wheelchair-bound ex-soldier, tries to work his way out of debt for his boys. Scott, a nurse turned addict, lives in a gutted-out trailer. This is their world. And this is the twenty-first century: where fewer and fewer people can afford a simple roof over their head. A non-fiction among books on social issues and identity.

I Am Malala – Malala Yousafzai

When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, 9 October 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price when she was shot in the head at point-blank range.

Malala Yousafzai’s extraordinary journey has taken her from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations. She has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and is the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world. A winner of Nobel Peace Prize among books on social issues and identity.

Behold the Dreamers – Imbolo Mbue

New York, 2007. After two long years apart, Jende Jonga has brought his wife Neni from Cameroon to join him in the land of opportunity. Drawn by the promise of America they are seeking the chance of a better life for them and their son.

When Jende lands a dream job as chauffeur to a Lehman Brothers executive, Neni finds herself taken into the confidence of his glamorous wife Cindy. The Edwards are powerful and privileged: dazzling examples of what America can offer to those who are prepared to strive for it.

But when the financial world is rocked by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, all four lives are dramatically upended. As faultlines appear in both marriages and secrets bubble to the surface they must all decide how far they will go in pursuit of their dreams. And what will they sacrifice along the way? A contemporary one among books on social issues and identity.

Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ attempt to answer those questions, presented in the form of a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son – and readers – the story of his own awakening to the truth about history and race through a series of revelatory experiences: immersion in nationalist mythology as a child; engagement with history, poetry and love at Howard University; travels to Civil War battlefields and the South Side of Chicago; a journey to France that reorients his sense of the world; and pilgrimages to the homes of mothers whose children’s lives have been taken as American plunder.

Masterfully woven from lyrical personal narrative, reimagined history and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME offers a powerful new framework for understanding America’s history and current crisis, and a transcendent vision for a way forward. One of my faves among books on social issues and identity.

Educated – Tara Westover

Tara Westover’s memoir, “Educated,” recounts her journey from a childhood in a strict and isolated survivalist family in rural Idaho to pursuing higher education at prestigious institutions. Through her inspiring story, Westover illuminates the transformative power of education and the resilience of the human spirit. This book prompts readers to reflect on the value of knowledge, the pursuit of personal growth, and the boundaries imposed by societal expectations. A memoir among books on social issues and identity.