10 Novels with Strong Social Justice Themes
Literature has become an increasingly powerful medium for exploring issues related to social justice. From racism and discrimination, to gender inequality and climate change, today’s writers are using their voice and their craft to shed light on the most pressing social issues of our time. In this post, we highlight 10 novels with strong social justice themes. These recent novels are topical, and cover a variety of different issues in a wealth of different styles. What they have in common is that they all tackle these themes with empathy, insight, and unflinching honesty. Whether you’re an avid reader, a social justice advocate, or simply curious about the world and other people’s lived experiences, these books are sure to leave a lasting impression.
Contents
- 1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2018)
- 2. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019)
- 3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)
- 4. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2019)
- 5. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)
- 6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (2020)
- 7. The Power by Naomi Alderman (2019)
- 8. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2018)
- 9. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2018)
- 10. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017)
1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2018)
When Starr Carter, a young black girl, witnesses the police shooting of her friend Khalil, it throws her entire life out of balance. As the only living person who knows what really went down, her decisions can upend her community, as well as put her own life at risk. An important, unapologetic novel about the reality of being black in America today.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
2. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (2019)
Colson Whitehead brilliantly dramatises a strand of American history using the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. A national bestseller and Pulitzer Prize-winner, the novel is based on the real story of a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
3. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (2016)
Homegoing follows the parallel paths of two half sisters in 18th century Ghana and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. One marries an Englishman and leads a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other is captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
4. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2019)
Young Hiram Walker was born into bondage but was gifted with a mysterious power. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves him. This brush with death births a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he’s ever known and save the family he left behind, as he joins the underground railroad.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
5. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)
The skilfully told story of two Nigerians who escape their war-torn country to the US and the UK, raising universals questions on race, immigration, identity, and the meaning of home. This national bestseller was nominated for the Goodreads Choice award and is a must read for anyone interested in the themes covered.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (2020)
This explosive Sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale can be read on its own (though we would advise everyone to also read the first book!). A New York Time bestseller and winner of the Booker prize, it takes place more than 15 years out of the events of the previous book, and is told from the point of view of three different women, including Aunt Lydia, which will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s read the book or seen the show. As cracks begin to appear in the dystopian regime of the Republic of Gilead, each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she is willing to go for her beliefs.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
7. The Power by Naomi Alderman (2019)
Described as “our era’s Handmaid’s Tale“, this novel imagines a world where women have the power to inflict pain and death, and explores how gender and power dynamics would shift as a result. The Power is speculative fiction at its most ambitious and provocative. It is both a thrilling journey to an imaginary reality, and a bold, surprising look at our own world.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
8. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2018)
Reimagining the Underground Railroad as a literal secret underground railroad, this novel follows the story of Cora, a young enslaved woman, as she tries to escape to freedom from a plantation in the antebellum South. Whitehead’s masterful recreation of the horrors of the antebellum era serves as a backdrop to poignant commentary about American history and society.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
9. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (2018)
Through the story of a family travelling through rural Mississippi, this award-winning novel grapples with issues of race, identity, poverty, addiction, and violence. It has been described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “an odyssey through rural Mississippi’s past and present”.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
10. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017)
A young couple flees a war-torn city through magical doors that transport them to different parts of the world. Exploring the timeless issues of migration, displacement, love, and courage, this profoundly intimate and powerfully told story features strong characters and award-winning storytelling.
See on AmazonSee on Bookshop.org
Know of any more great fiction books that deal with social justice themes? Let us know if the comments below!
