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.

• Scoundrel Time by Lillian Hellman. In gripping detail, the activist/playwright recounts her surreal — and fraught — experience of being hauled in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee during the McCarthy era.
• The Financier by Theodore Dreiser. Greed, backstabbing, and the relentless pursuit of power take center stage in this caustic, cautionary tale of the American Dream gone horribly wrong.
• Death Be Not Proud by John J. Gunther. Stricken with a fatal brain tumor, 17-year-old Johnny nonetheless perseveres with tremendous maturity and goodwill in this heartbreaking memoir written by his grieving father.

Patriotic Picks is a monthly feature in partnership with the Washington Independent Review of Books.