Grateful American Book Prize

Patriotic Pick for September 2019

Patriotic Picks

1984, The Scarlet Letter and 3 by Flannery O’ Connor

1984 by George Orwell; The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne; 3 by Flannery O’Connor by Flannery O’Connor

Whether it’s via their tone, topic, or tenor, certain works just say “America.” Here are three such titles, suggested by David Bruce Smith, founder of the Grateful American™ Foundation, in partnership with the Washington Independent Review of Books.

  • 1984 by George Orwell. Though written and set in Great Britain, this chilling, dystopian tale of Big Brother feels eerily relevant in the 21st-century United States.
  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Even in Puritan Massachusetts, the shameful “A” emblazoned on her chest can’t make Hester Prynne reveal the name of her lover. (Spoiler alert: It’s Dimmesdale.)
  • 3 by Flannery O’Connor by Flannery O’Connor. “Wise Blood,” “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” and “The Violent Bear It Away” comprise this matchless trio from the country’s foremost short-story writer.

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