Must-read books recommended by English Department faculty
The Moonstone
Wilkie Collins
Considered the first English detective novel, this mystery involves the disappearance of a valuable diamond, originally stolen from a Hindu idol, given to a young woman on her 18th birthday, and then stolen again. The secrets and scandals of Victorian upper- and working-class England are revealed before the mystery finally concludes back in India.
Jane E. Fisher, PhD
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Harriet Jacobs
An autobiography of Harriet Jacobs’ daily life on a North Carolina plantation, her seven years of hiding and her ultimate triumph.
Jennifer A. Desiderio, PhD
Brothers and Keepers
John Edgar Wideman
A memoir that tells the story of two brothers: one an award-winning novelist, the other a fugitive wanted for robbery and murder, and the bonds of blood, tenderness and guild that connect the two.
Mick Cochrane, PhD
Evelina
Frances Burney
A satirical novel about the pleasures and dangers of a young woman’s entry into society, womanhood and love in late 18th century London.
Amy Wolf, PhD
Coram Boy
Jamila Gavon
A historical novel that delves into the brutal baby-trade of mid-18th century England. (A young readers book that adults will enjoy.)
Kenneth M. Sroka, PhD
O’ Pioneers
Willa Cather
A fiercely independent young Swedish immigrant girl inherits her father’s farm in Nebraska and transforms the patch of raw prairie into a highly profitable business.
David J. Greenman, PhD
Love Medicine
Louise Erdrich
Several generations of three Native American families search for an identity that fuses their Native and European American roots.
Eric Gansworth