1. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett - prejudice and racism.
2. To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - prejudice, racism, misunderstanding
3. Code Name Verity - war, Nazis
4. The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers
-affair, separation
5. Wonder by RJ Palacio - deformed appearance
6. I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade, by Diane Lee Wilson - physical handicap
7. Right Behind You by Gail Giles - guilt
8. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - rape, high school "branding"
9. Never Gone, Laurel Garver - death of a loved one.
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - abuse, repression
Honorable mentions:
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan - parental neglect, abuse
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell- animal abuse
Nineteen Minutes - school massacre. Jodi Piccoult writes issues in a very gripping if borderline sensationalized way.
What tough issue book(s) resonated the most with you?
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I liked "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places" by Le Ly Hayslip. It's a brutal account of what happened to Le Ly during the Vietnam War from a woman's perspective. I was brought to tears several times.
ReplyDeleteThe Help and Wonder are two of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteAnd such a true thing you pointed out (but somehow I've never quite thought of this way) that good books weave tough subjects into their plots.
I loved Francine River's The Scarlet Thread, too! Others on your list I've read is The Help and Speak. One book that resonated with me is Cynthia Rylant's Missing May, about the loss of a loved one...
ReplyDeleteI've only read The Help...but love that I have more I can read, based on your list. I think Black Beauty was amazing in how it brought out the problem of animal abuse from horse's point of view. Love that story!
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm honored to be in such great company! It's a thrill as a writer to know your work resonates with a reader and stays in their memory.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read The Help. I haven't had a chance to yet. But, I've heard it's very good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog!
I love this list!! My tough issue book that will remain with me forever is Barry Unsworth's Sacred Hunger about slavery and colonialism. Take care
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That's an amazing title "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places"!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Sacred Hunger - I will have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI've seen Speak on several lists this week. I want to read it, but books about rape generally freak me out too much. I've heard good things about it, though, as well as Code Name Verity. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier!
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