"Tell Me a Riddle" (1961) is an acclaimed story by Tillie Olsen that explores the sacrifices a Jewish immigrant couple makes to keep their marriage intact.

The Second Sex (1949), written by French author Simone de Beauvoir, is a groundbreaking book that examines the biological, historical, and social roots of women's oppression. It is widely acknowledged as one of the texts that ignited the feminist movement.

The Dollmaker (1954) by Harriette Arnow is a novel about a poor, Southern working-class family that relocates to Detroit during World War II. It details the mother's increasing disenchantment with modern society as she tries to raise her children amidst the perilous steel mills of the city.

"Blues Ain't No Mocking Bird" (1972) is a short story featured in Toni Cade Bambara's collection Gorilla, My Love. It tells of an impoverished African-American family that becomes the subject of a film crew documenting the county food-stamp program. Despite the objections of the grandmother and her husband, the crew invades their property and continues filming the family's modest home.