For this edition of Books of the Month, as protests and political divides continue to disrupt lives across the U.S., we’ve selected books that grapple with these issues, telling stories of both survival and resistance.

'American Purgatory' by Benjamin Weber tells the story of American incarceration, from its roots in racial slavery and colonialism to the present day, through the stories of the people who built resistance and freedom movements from within its confines. In the book, stories of survival and resistance take many forms. These stories show how criminal law and imprisonment have been used as tools to control and subdue groups who stand in political opposition.

The new book American Purgatory: Prison Imperialism and the Rise of Mass Incarceration tells the story of American incarceration, from its roots in racial slavery and colonialism to the present day, through the stories of the people who built resistance and freedom movements from within its confines.