Whether it’s via their tone, topic, or tenor, certain works just say “America.” Here is one such title, suggested by Edgar Dobie, executive producer and president of Arena Stage:

“Mayflower: A Story of Voyage, Community, and War” by Nathaniel Philbrick. “As an immigrant studying for my citizenship exam in 2008, I took my adopted nation’s history to heart,” says Dobie. “Philbrick’s book was an inspiration [of] what was and what might have been. Lincoln made Thanksgiving a holiday based on the early promise of those first contacts. We were hopeful then and can be again!”

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