The Greatest American, British "Poverty" Books of All Time
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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 305 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.
Genres
The category of "Poverty" in books refers to stories that explore the experiences of individuals or communities living in poverty. These books may examine the social, economic, and political factors that contribute to poverty, as well as the personal struggles and triumphs of those living in poverty. They may also shed light on the inequalities and injustices that exist within society and the impact they have on marginalized communities. Overall, books in this category aim to raise awareness and understanding of poverty and its effects on individuals and society as a whole.
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Reading Statistics
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26. Bread Givers: A Novel : a Struggle Between a Father of the Old World and a Daughter of the New by Anzia Yezierska
This novel tells the story of a young Jewish girl growing up in an immigrant family in the Lower East Side of New York City in the early 20th century. The protagonist struggles to balance her traditional father's Old World expectations with her own aspirations for education and independence, a conflict that embodies the tension between Old and New World values. The book explores themes of identity, assimilation, gender roles, and the immigrant experience in America.
The 1144th Greatest Book of All Time -
27. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby
This novel is a raw and gritty depiction of life in the slums of Brooklyn in the 1950s. It is a collection of interconnected stories that delve into the lives of various characters, including drug addicts, prostitutes, factory workers, and union members. The narrative explores themes such as addiction, violence, homosexuality, and poverty, with a stark, unflinching realism that was controversial at the time of its publication. The book is noted for its stream-of-consciousness style and lack of traditional punctuation.
The 1225th Greatest Book of All Time -
28. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Set in the pre-Civil Rights South, the novel explores the story of a young black man wrongfully accused and sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. A local schoolteacher, at the request of the man's godmother, attempts to help the condemned man gain a sense of dignity and self-worth in the final days of his life. The story grapples with issues of racial inequality, justice, humanity, and moral obligation.
The 1338th Greatest Book of All Time -
29. Salvage the Bones: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward
Set in a poor rural community in Mississippi, this novel follows the story of a pregnant teenage girl named Esch and her three brothers as they navigate their lives in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina. Their mother is dead and their father is a neglectful alcoholic, leaving the siblings to fend for themselves. The book explores themes of poverty, racism, and survival, showcasing the resilience and strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
The 1384th Greatest Book of All Time -
30. Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel
This book is a compelling oral history of the Great Depression, featuring a collection of interviews from a diverse range of individuals who lived through the era. The interviewees include both the ordinary people and famous figures of the time, from businessmen and politicians to artists and criminals. The book provides a vivid, first-hand account of the economic hardship, social changes, and emotional struggles experienced by people during the 1930s, offering a unique perspective on this significant period in American history.
The 1391st Greatest Book of All Time -
31. Ironweed by William Kennedy
Set during the Great Depression, the novel follows Francis Phelan, a former professional baseball player, who has become a drifter following a series of unfortunate events. Haunted by his past, including the accidental death of his infant son, Phelan returns to his hometown of Albany, New York, where he confronts his past and tries to make amends. The book explores themes of guilt, suffering, survival, and redemption.
The 1409th Greatest Book of All Time -
32. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
This novel presents a social critique of industrial Victorian England through the story of the Gradgrind family. The patriarch, a staunch believer in the practicality of facts and statistics, raises his children in a sterile, emotionless environment, causing his daughter to enter a loveless marriage and his son to become a dissipated gambler. The narrative explores themes of industrialization, utilitarianism, and the dehumanizing effects of mechanization on the working class, ultimately advocating for a balanced education that includes both facts and feelings.
The 1454th Greatest Book of All Time -
33. Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby
"Requiem for a Dream" is a harrowing tale that explores the depths of addiction and its devastating consequences. The narrative follows the lives of four characters, each battling their own form of substance abuse. The main character, a woman in her old age, becomes addicted to diet pills in her quest to lose weight and appear on a television game show, while her son, his girlfriend, and his best friend are all caught up in heroin addiction. As their dependencies deepen, their lives spiral out of control, leading to tragic endings. The book serves as a stark and brutal depiction of drug addiction and its destructive effects on individuals and their relationships.
The 1481st Greatest Book of All Time -
34. Children of Crisis by Robert Coles
"Children of Crisis" is a deeply moving exploration of the lives of children in various challenging circumstances. The author, a renowned psychiatrist, documents his experiences working with children facing poverty, racial tension, and family disruption in the United States. The book provides insights into the resilience, adaptability, and strength of children, offering a profound understanding of their psychological responses to crisis and adversity.
The 1512th Greatest Book of All Time -
35. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
Set in a small mining town in England, the novel follows the life of a young boy who, despite his bleak surroundings and abusive family, finds solace and a sense of purpose in training a kestrel. He learns about falconry from a book he steals from his school library. His connection with the bird offers a brief respite from his harsh reality, but tragedy strikes when his brother kills the bird out of spite. The story ends with the boy forced to return to his grim reality, with his only source of happiness gone.
The 1566th Greatest Book of All Time -
36. Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons
The novel is a coming-of-age story about a young girl named Ellen Foster who, after her mother's suicide and father's subsequent neglect and abuse, is shuffled between family members and foster homes. Despite the hardships she faces, including poverty and racism in the South, Ellen's remarkable resilience and determination help her to overcome her circumstances. Ultimately, she finds a loving home with a foster mother and begins to heal from her traumatic past.
The 1831st Greatest Book of All Time -
37. The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
"The New Jim Crow" is a thought-provoking and eye-opening book that examines the deeply ingrained racial bias within the American criminal justice system. Drawing on extensive research and personal anecdotes, the author explores how the War on Drugs has disproportionately targeted and marginalized Black communities, leading to a modern-day system of racial control and oppression. This powerful critique challenges readers to confront the systemic racism that continues to perpetuate inequality and injustice in the United States.
The 2132nd Greatest Book of All Time -
38. What Is the What by Dave Eggers
The novel is a fictionalized account of a real-life Sudanese refugee, Valentino Achak Deng, who was forced to flee from his village during the Second Sudanese Civil War. The story follows his harrowing journey as a child through Ethiopia and Kenya, his life in various refugee camps, and his eventual resettlement in the United States. The book explores themes of survival, identity, and the power of storytelling, while shedding light on the tragic history and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The 1904th Greatest Book of All Time -
39. Coming Of Age In Mississippi by Anne Moody
The book is a powerful autobiographical account of a young African American woman's life growing up in rural Mississippi during the 1940s and 1950s. It vividly portrays the struggles with poverty, racism, and sexism in a deeply segregated society, as well as her burgeoning activism. The narrative follows her journey from childhood, through her college years, and into her involvement with the Civil Rights Movement, offering a personal perspective on the fight for racial equality in the United States. Her story is one of courage and determination, reflecting the broader experiences of many black Americans during a pivotal era in American history.
The 1968th Greatest Book of All Time -
40. Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell
"Tobacco Road" is a novel that explores the lives of the Lester family, destitute sharecroppers in the rural American South during the Great Depression. Their desperate attempts to survive in the harsh and unforgiving environment, marked by poverty, ignorance, and starvation, are depicted with brutal honesty. The book is a poignant commentary on the socio-economic conditions of the time, highlighting the grim realities of a marginalized society.
The 2085th Greatest Book of All Time -
41. The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle
The book in question explores the intersecting lives of two couples in Southern California: a wealthy, nature-loving pair and an undocumented Mexican couple who have come to the United States in search of a better life. Their worlds collide when the Mexican man is involved in a car accident with the American man, setting off a chain of events that highlights the stark contrasts and deep-seated prejudices between their disparate existences. The narrative delves into themes of immigration, the American Dream, racism, and environmentalism, painting a complex portrait of the challenges and moral dilemmas faced by individuals on both sides of the socio-economic and cultural divide.
The 2209th Greatest Book of All Time -
42. Nickel And Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
The book is a firsthand journalistic account of the author's experiment to survive on minimum wage jobs in America. She gives up her middle-class life to understand the reality of low-wage workers, working as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing home aide, and a retail chain employee. The book reveals the harsh and often overlooked conditions of the working poor, highlighting the struggle to afford even basic necessities, the lack of job security, and the physical toll of such work.
The 2217th Greatest Book of All Time -
43. There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz
The book follows the lives of two young African-American brothers growing up in a public housing complex in Chicago during the 1980s. The narrative portrays their daily struggles with poverty, violence, and the drug trade, while also highlighting their dreams and hopes for a better future. The book provides an intimate and heartbreaking look at the harsh realities of inner-city life, systemic racism, and the failure of public institutions to support vulnerable communities.
The 2305th Greatest Book of All Time -
44. Sybil: Or The Two Nations by Benjamin Disraeli
"Sybil: Or The Two Nations" is a social and political novel that explores the dire conditions of the working class in England during the industrial revolution. The narrative follows the lives of two main characters from vastly different social backgrounds - Charles, a wealthy aristocrat, and Sybil, a poor yet noble woman. Their love story unfolds amidst the backdrop of societal unrest and class struggle, ultimately highlighting the vast divide between the rich and the poor, or the 'two nations'.
The 2342nd Greatest Book of All Time -
45. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The book is a semi-autobiographical novel that follows a Native American teenager who leaves his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school in a neighboring town. The protagonist grapples with his own identity, the perceptions and prejudices of his new classmates, and the harsh realities of life on the reservation. Throughout the story, he uses humor and his passion for drawing cartoons to navigate the challenges he encounters.
The 2371st Greatest Book of All Time -
46. Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell
The novel is a social critique of 1930s London, focusing on a man who rebels against the money-dominated society by quitting his job as a copywriter to pursue poetry. He deliberately lives in poverty, rejecting the societal norms of success and material wealth. His rebellion is challenged when he falls in love and must decide between his personal ideals and societal expectations. The narrative explores themes of poverty, ambition, and the struggle between integrity and compromise.
The 2452nd Greatest Book of All Time -
47. Life In The Iron Mills by Rebecca Harding Davis
This novella is a pioneering work of American realism that delves into the bleak and oppressive lives of 19th-century industrial workers. Set in the grimy, smog-filled milieu of an iron mill, the story follows Hugh Wolfe, a talented Welsh mill worker who, despite his aspirations and artistic abilities, is trapped in a life of poverty and hard labor. The narrative exposes the harsh conditions faced by the working class, including environmental degradation, exploitation, and the lack of social mobility, while also critiquing the apathy of the upper classes and the moral complexities surrounding the pursuit of wealth at the expense of human dignity. Through its vivid imagery and empathetic portrayal of its characters, the novella offers a powerful examination of the human cost of industrialization and the societal indifference to the plight of the laboring poor.
The 2642nd Greatest Book of All Time -
48. Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
This book provides an in-depth look at the housing crisis in America, focusing on eight families in Milwaukee who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. The author explores the role of eviction in perpetuating poverty, illuminating the business of landlords and the harsh reality of tenants in impoverished neighborhoods. The book offers a close examination of the intersection between profit and poverty, revealing how both are intricately linked in the American housing market.
The 2751st Greatest Book of All Time -
49. Jennie Gerhardt by Theodore Dreiser
This novel tells the poignant story of Jennie Gerhardt, a young woman of humble origins who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances and societal pressures, becomes involved with two different men of higher social standing throughout her life. Set against the backdrop of late 19th-century America, the narrative explores themes of love, class disparity, and the struggle for personal dignity. Jennie's character embodies resilience and moral complexity as she navigates the challenges posed by her relationships and the harsh judgments of society, ultimately highlighting the human capacity for endurance and the quest for happiness amidst societal constraints.
The 2847th Greatest Book of All Time -
50. Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
This book is a gripping narrative that provides an in-depth look into the lives of residents in a Mumbai slum, focusing on their struggles and aspirations. The author paints a vivid picture of the harsh realities of poverty, corruption, and inequality, while also highlighting the resilience and hope of the inhabitants. The narrative is a powerful exploration of the complexities of modern India, revealing the stark contrast between the country's booming economy and the grim living conditions of its underprivileged citizens.
The 4097th Greatest Book of All Time
Reading Statistics
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