Pick up memoirs penned during some of humanity's darkest times, or fiery stories of perseverance
Tales of war and struggle might seem bleak in current times, but these books also serve as reminders that coming together is more important than ever.
The Memory Police
By Yōko Ogawa
On an unnamed island, objects are disappearing. It starts off innocently — hats and ribbons go first, then roses and birds. Soon, important, personal artefacts are whisked away without a trace too. Most inhabitants are blissfully unaware, and a handful who remember live in fear of the Memory Police. A young novelist finds out her editor is one such individual. On the run and terrified of the authorities, his recollections only become harder to hide. Helping him evade capture by concealing him under her floorboards, she places her own life on the line. As danger closes in, her writings become their sole connection to the past and a life that once was.
The Melancholy of Resistance
By László Krasznahorkai
A small Hungarian village, already plagued by a sense of pervasive dread, is struck by a particularly intense winter. In the midst of the cold and strife, a mysterious travelling circus arrives, promising to exhibit the world’s largest stuffed whale. Word on the street is that the performers have sinister intentions, driving locals into a frenzy as they attempt to cling to whatever form or order possible. The chaos provides the perfect catalyst for power-hungry personalities to emerge. It comes down to hapless hero Valuska and his mentor, musicologist György Eszter, to keep the town’s loosening grip on humanity.
Blindness
By José Saramago
What would happen if the population lost one of its senses? This dystopian world imagines an indiscriminate “white blindness” epidemic that strikes without warning, sending society into swift madness. Authorities confine the afflicted to an asylum, where lawlessness and desperation exacerbate an already nightmarish situation. The outside world is in no better shape. When the hospital is consumed by fire, inmates spill onto the streets, entering a world stripped of morality not many are equipped to survive. Through it all, a tiny procession comprising a lone guide and her charges travel through the city, hoping to make it through the outbreak.
The Accusation
By Bandi
Written by a North Korean defector under a pseudonym, this work of fiction takes readers into the dictatorship through the eyes of average citizens. A mother among Pyongyang’s elite has her outlook forever changed when her son misbehaves at a political rally. A man sneaks onto a train to visit his sick mother after being denied a travel permit. A former Communist war hero’s rose-tinted image of the party begins to unravel as they infiltrate every aspect of his life. Giving a voice to the real-life people who lived under Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il’s leadership, the seven narratives offer unique perspectives on this critical period of history.
The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
There are few historical events that depict hysteria, persecution and theocracy the way the 17th-century Salem Witch Trials do. Based on real people and events that occurred during that dark time, Arthur Miller’s classic play follows a young woman named Elizabeth Proctor. Her town, already on edge from rumours that girls in the community are practising dark magic, is on the verge of delirium. Simmering fears erupt when a child accuses Elizabeth of witchcraft, leading to widespread demand for trial and punishment. Against a backdrop of conservative dogma and anti-communist subtext, neighbours turn on each other while the innocent and naive are caught in the crosshairs.
Free
By Lea Ypi
Albania — Europe’s final Stalinist outpost — was once infeasible to enter, and virtually impossible to leave. Its isolation from the rest of the continent and globe rapidly transformed it into a place of scarcity and tension, creeping with secret police and terrorised by the enforcement of execution. To many, memoir author Lea Ypi included, this was home. A long-awaited taste of liberation arrived in December 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but with that came severe disillusionment as rampant unemployment, a crashing economy and violence proved the country was far from breaking free of its shackles.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
By Omar El Akkad
Journalist Omar El Akkad agonises over the West’s responses to the devastation of Gaza as well as the illusion of freedom it presents. Born in Egypt, he immigrated to Canada and spent years reporting on global conflicts, from the War on Terror to climate change. Following the bombardment of Palestine, he came to the difficult realisation that lies at the heart of this impactful page-turner — countries and communities that fall outside the boundaries of privilege can no longer look to the West for protection and guidance.
Glory
By NoViolet Bulawayo
Inspired by the fall by coup of Zimbabwe’s former president Robert Mugabe in 2017, this fictional work explores themes of political ruthlessness and rebellion through the animal kingdom. Old Horse, the longstanding leader of the imaginary country of Jidada, is ousted from power by a new regime. Though the population is fed promises of democracy, in truth, not much has changed as the new premier rules with an iron fist. Returning from exile to find her nation at the tipping point of revolution, protagonist Destiny must come to terms with the circumstances and join forces with other like-minded personalities.
This article first appeared on Aug 3, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
