Harriet Jacobs
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
Frederick DouglassNarrative of Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass, born into slavery, recounts his journey toward freedom through a constant struggle against oppression. Deprived of education and rights, he gradually discovers the power of knowledge and of the spoken word. His testimony exposes the brutal reality of slavery…Same countrySame genreSame era
Florence Fenwick MillerHarriet Martineau BiographyA biography published in 1884 in a series on famous women. Florence Fenwick Miller tells the life of the Englishwoman Harriet Martineau, born in 1802 in Norwich into a family descended from French Protestant refugees. Deaf from her teenage years and without a sense of smell,…Same genreSame era
George OrwellHomage to CataloniaIn December 1936, Orwell arrives in Barcelona intending to write newspaper articles, but almost at once he joins a P.O.U.M. militia and leaves for the Aragon front. He describes the cold, the lice, the boredom of the trenches and the strange equality of a revolutionary army.…Same genre
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 1)Stefan Zweig begins with the Vienna of his youth, what he calls the world of security: a city that believed in progress and cared more for the theatre than for politics. He recalls an Austrian schooling, the discovery of literature, then travels to Paris, Berlin, London and…Same genre
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 2)The second volume opens in the first hours of August 1914, with cheering crowds and the loneliness of those who refuse. Zweig describes his work in the war archives, his stay in Switzerland near Romain Rolland, then the collapse of Austria and the inflation that emptied…Same genre
Lyndon OrrFamous AffinitiesSeveral historical and literary figures are brought together through their notable relationships, marked by attraction, conflict, and mutual influence. Each pair reveals a unique dynamic combining passion, ambition, and rivalry. The narrative explores these connections from a…Same countrySame genre
José RizalRizal's Own Story of His LifeA collection published in Manila in 1918 by Austin Craig for the schoolchildren of the Philippines. In simplified language, it brings together texts in which José Rizal tells the story of his own life. He describes his childhood in Kalamba, on the shore of a large lake, his…Same genre
Victor HugoLes MisérablesFreed after nineteen years in the galleys for a stolen loaf, Jean Valjean finds neither work nor shelter, until a bishop takes him in. A different man under a false name, he takes in Cosette, daughter of a working woman dead in destitution, and raises her in hiding. Inspector…Same genreSame era
M. MansfieldRoyal Palaces of FranceA book of travel and history published in Boston in 1910 under the pen name Francis Miltoun. The author visits the residences of the kings of France, in Paris and around the capital: the Louvre, the Tuileries, the Palais-Royal, Vincennes, Fontainebleau, Versailles,…Same countrySame genre
James WalkerThe Johnstown HorrorA chronicle published in 1889, the very year of the disaster. At the end of May 1889, endless rain swells the rivers around Johnstown, a factory town in Pennsylvania wedged at the bottom of a valley. On 31 May, upstream, an earth dam gives way and the lake it held back rushes…Same countrySame genreSame era
Mark TwainLife on the MississippiMark Twain, a keen observer, recounts his experience as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi, blending personal memories with descriptions of the river. He traces the evolution of this vital route for commerce and American life. Through anecdotes and portraits, he brings a…Same countrySame genreSame era
Leo TolstoyWar and PeaceIn 1805 Russia goes to war against Napoleon, and the salons of Petersburg discuss it in French. The novel follows Pierre Bezukhov, an awkward heir seeking meaning, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who joins the army to escape his life, and Natasha Rostov, whose childhood ends between…Same genreSame era