Pat Taub
If you’re casting about for a way to take the edge off Trump’s wrecking ball, I heartily recommend the uplifting powers of a great read.
Reading is more than an escape. It can provide inspiration for charting a course in these uncertain times. I’ve chosen novels with strong female protagonists who face life’s challenges with optimism and even humor.
I’ve also added a touching memoir, a book by a noted UK journalist that sheds light on global politics along with short stories by Mid-Eastern writers.
For good measure I included May Sarton and Jane Kenyon.
FICTION
A Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Lawhon’s book has readers echoing, “I couldn’t-put-it-down.” This historical novel set in Maine in 1789 features a feisty midwife, Martha Ballard, who puts her reputation and her family at risk when she testifies in a rape case, targeting a prominent civic leader as the rapist. Fine-tuned historical details whisk the reader into an era when close knit families and survival skills were paramount.
The Apology by Jimin Han
I read this entertaining novel about three very elderly South Korean sisters after hearing the author talk while vacationing in Key West last month. The stubborn, very funny protagonist is 105, which the author claimed is not untypical in Korea where women can live past 100! During a sisterly visit to the US to visit relatives, the protagonist, Jeonna, unexpectedly dies and finds herself in a whimsical afterlife where she’s given a chance to make an apology to those she mistreated on earth.
Foster by Claire Keegan
A book worm friend foisted this novella on me, insisting I would find it unforgettable, as I did. This tender story is told in the first-person voice of a small girl from a large impoverished Irish family. The girl is unceremoniously dropped off at the home of a kindly elderly couple to ease her family’s overburdened household. The story unfolds with a flawless poetic sensibility.
Stories From The Center of the World: New Middle East Fiction edited by Jordan Elgrably
I bought this book after watching an absorbing interview with Elgrably, which caused me to recognize that I’m pretty uninformed about life in the Middle East. This collection features 25 emerging and established writers of Middle Eastern and North African origins. Fiction can be a powerful teaching modality. This collection doesn’t disappoint.
Jordan Elgrably, Franco-American and Moroccan writer, editor and translator.
NONFICTION
Left on Tenth: A Second Chance At Life by Delia Ephron
Delia is the younger sister of Nora, the treasured filmmaker of hits like “Sleepless in Seattle.” Delia has written a heart-warming memoir of miraculously surviving acute myeloid leukemia (AML)–the same cancer that killed Nora. Delia’s cancer strikes shortly after losing both her husband and Nora. It’s also a love story that develops after Peter, her eventual second husband, responds to an op-ed Delia writes in the New York Times. Delia’s irrepressible wit and courage left me longing to be her girlfriend.
Delia Ephron at home in her Greenwich Village apartment
The Racket by Matt Kennard
Another book I purchased after watching the author interviewed. Kennard, a brilliant UK journalist, started out with the Financial Times, where he distinguished himself. Once his eyes were opened to how the world is controlled by an exclusive class of wealthy influencers, he left the Times to become an investigative reporter. This groundbreaking book sheds light on how a small elite of uber wealthy run the world.
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A much talked about book, notable for the author’s confessional tone resulting from his journeys to the Dakar, Senegal, Columbia, SC. He recounts how these travels became a springboard for reflecting on topics such as white supremacy, colonialism, and what it means to be a Black writer today. An important read.
BOOKS TO READ AGAIN
Journal of A Solitude by May Sarton
This 1973 classic is a moving account of how Sarton wrestled with loneliness and came to appreciate the rewards offered by solitude. She chronicles how her alone time led her to a deep appreciation for nature. A book I pick up whenever I need a re-charge.
May Sarton in her study
Otherwise by Jane Kenyon
Revisiting beloved poets, like Kenyon stirs my heart. She famously wrote: “The soul’s bliss and suffering are bound together.” Words to live by in 2025.
HAPPY READING TO ALL!
