Forbidden Reads with Histories as Dark as Their Pages

The Great Alone follows Leni, a thirteen-year-old girl coming of age at a tumultuous time. And things are no better at home. Her father came back from Vietnam angry and violent and her parents’ marriage is toxic. They believe that Alaska will offer them a fresh start and a brighter future and Leni dares to hope that they are right. But nothing really changes and things just get darker and more dangerous out in the Alaskan wilds. But there is light on the horizon: Matthew, the boy Leni befriends at school who makes her believe that there could be a better life out there for her if she is only brave enough to grasp it.

This book has been banned and challenged for its mature themes, depiction of domestic violence, sexual assault and harsh realism. But, like every other book I’ve read by Kristin Hannah, for me this is an epic, moving, atmospheric and memorable masterpiece that was impossible to put down.

I couldn’t write about banned historical fiction without including this classic and chillingly timely tale. We all know the story: Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead. Her only function is to breed and if she refuses her life of sexual servitude she will be hanged and her body displayed on ‘the wall’. But despite seeming to acquiesce, the fire burning inside her cannot be extinguished and she tries to find a way to escape Gilead.

A chilling, bold and feminist story that seems even more relevant today than when first published in 1985, this book has been widely banned because of sexual content, material that may discomfort students and its discussions of feminism and extremism. But it remains a powerful and important story that contains many lessons to be learned.

Monster. Man-hater. Murderess. We all know the myth of Medusa, the girl who turns men to stone in a glance. Or, at least, we think we do. In this powerful retelling Jessie Burton explores the girl behind the infamous myth, peeling back the layers of lies and legend to reveal the unvarnished truth of an ordinary girl cursed by a jealous Goddess.

It’s the story of a girl who has been exiled to a far-flung island after being cursed with only her sisters and the snakes on her head for company. But when Perseus arrives on the island, Medusa feels like she finally has the chance to banish her loneliness. Feelings of love and desire are unleashed as they get to know each other. But can someone as beautiful as Perseus ever love a monster?

A short but searing retelling that goes deeper into the life of the woman behind the mythical monster, this book may have upset some but it is one I would highly recommend. 

Set in New London, East Texas, 1937, Out of Darkness is an unflinching, atmospheric and moving story about family, love, segregation and hope.

It follows Naomi Vargas, a half-Mexican girl living with her white step-father and younger twin siblings, and Wash Fuller, a Black boy who becomes their friend. People on all sides of the clearly divisive colour lines in this town don’t approve of their friendship, but Naomi, Wash and the twins won’t be swayed. Over time, the feelings between Naomi and Wash begin to morph into something more. This is a love that breaks all the rules. A love that has devastating consequences.

The compelling love story is merged with the true story of the 1937 New London school explosion, creating a captivating, tragic and darkly beautiful story that stays with you long after reading.

When local football hero Chase Andrews is found dead in the small town of Barkley Cove, North Carolina, suspicion immediately falls on the  ‘Marsh Girl’ who has been whispered about for years. And Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl, doesn’t help her case by being elusive with the police. But Kya is not who the narrowminded residents of this town think she is.

Moving between timelines, we get to know Kya, following her from the time she is abandoned as a young girl to watching her grow up on the marsh, learning to not just survive, but to flourish.

This book has been controversial for a number of reasons: racial stereotypes, sexual content, and the background of the author herself. But it remains one of the most breathtaking, riveting and unforgettable books I’ve read.

This classic story is set in America’s poverty-stricken deep south during the early 1900s. It tells the story of Celie, a young black girl who knows nothing but struggle, segregation and suffering. She is repeatedly abused by her Pa, who then takes away the two children she bears and is forced to marry an older man who also mistreats her. It seems she is destined to live a life of drudgery and pain. But then she meets alluring singer Shug Avery and life begins to change. Shug is an independent woman who shows Celie that a different life is possible and that everyone deserves to be loved. Slowly, Celie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, finding her worth and joy in the most unexpected places.

It took me far too many years to finally read this book and when I did it shocked and moved me to my core. My heart broke for Ceilie and I couldn’t turn away from her suffering even when I wanted to. Heartbreaking, haunting yet also hopeful, this book deserves its classic status.