Let’s be clear: Wars cause harm. Novels do not. Literature may raise uncomfortable questions or explore unpopular viewpoints or establish reasons to empathize with a character a reader might otherwise find repugnant. A novel’s story, characters, politics and theme may not appeal to a particular reader. That reader does not have to like those books or read them to begin with. One need not like or agree with the author, either, to appreciate the person’s work.

But novels need not appeal to or appease a political constituency. Those works of fiction written purely as political dogma in disguise tend to suffer the consequences with critics and readers. That said, even overtly political fiction and the novelists who write them should not be subjected to the passions incited by global conflicts.

Centrist NYT columnist Pamela Paul wrote the above this week.

It–and this will surprise no one–resonated with me. A novel, and especially one found in genre fiction, does not need to change the world or its readers’ perspectives. A novel also does not need to write to current sensibilities. Books are not here to validate our perspectives of the world. They may, but it is not required.

That said….

A book that does illuminate societal wrongs or shape our understanding of the experiences of others, when done well, can be breathtaking. Erin Langston’s Forever Your Rogue opened my eyes to the horrors of coverture and made me even more determined to work to empower women to make decisions about their lives and bodies. Long Bright River by Liz Moore helped me see addicts and those who love them in a more informed–and forgiving–light. Leon Uris’ Trinity showed me a complex and heartbreaking Ireland I’ve never forgotten. Denise Lehane’s masterful Small Mercies hammered home the truth that, in America’s cultural wars around race, it is almost always the wealthy and powerful who win.

All of these novels were beautifully written and engaging to read–none sacrificed storytelling over the ethical messages they conveyed.

What romances have done this for you? Do you need for your books to have an ethical context that speaks to you? Or do books that are overtly political turn you off?