It's been a long while since a book touched my soul. The kind of read that lingers and seeps into your bones - and takes up residence in your heart.
The last time was waaaaay back in the 80's when Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides was published. And now, it is Chosen by a Horse , a first novel by author, Susan Richards.
The idea of healing through books is not a new. Research cites the first libraries in Greece as documenting the use of reading to heal. But I'm sure books, poetry and writing have nourished many a soul for eons. And did you know that studies have shown that reading a book about a particular issue can aid in emotional recovery? Bibliotherapy has been recognized as a helpful therapeutic tool for a hundred years.
Chosen by a Horse is a book that Oprah's gonna be all over once she gets it in her hands. It is the beautiful and moving story about love and how it can heal the loneliest of hearts and offer hope when little else is left in life. One need not be a horse-lover to appreciate the writing and the message therein. It is a very special novel. One that I will recommend often to patients as they move through their own healing - and to family and friends because it is *such* an important book to experience.
What book has touched YOUR life?
.
35 comments:
ooh, good question!
Traveling Mercies, by Anne Lamott
The Big Book of AA
Undoubtedly books have magical powers, and emotional healing is one of those; I've personally seen someone resort to books after a life-changing event and she came out of it slowly but steadily and reading had a lot to do with it. Deb, I'm not certain as to what sort of books she was attracted to during that time, but yes, I do remember her being very picky about the titles she chose to read during the time.
Again, and as usual, a thoughtful post.
I'm going to go out a limb here and say the Harry Potter books. I relish a story that champions the the outsider, friendship, and has an air of grief about it. Leaves me feeling not alone, uplifted, and empowered.
Dear Sarah,
I haven't read all of Lamott's, but she IS a great writer!
Dear Id,
I love coming to your blog and reading about the various books you've read. How wonderful that you were able to witness first hand someone's journey of change through reading!
Dear JD,
I loved all the Potter books. Rowling's imagination is wonderous. Her books have made a reader out of my daughter, a gift for a lifetime, wouldn't you agree! The beauty about the creative arts are that they can touch us all in different and meaningful ways. I recall the first play that touched my heart.I remember seeing the 1953 television play "Marty". It was in black and white and the dialogue/story moved me so much. I can find such touchstones in my experiences at the opera, symphony, cinema, reading poetry, viewing art at a museum, reading, etc. Somehow, these forms of creative expressions are so meaningful to me. OK, blathering on here, time to stop!
~Deb
I have a few...Harry Potter series is one. I think, for me, it's my background/history that makes this such an important series for me. The "good guys/light side" win, the "bad guys/darkside" loses and there is lots and lots of grey. My littles read the books over and over...and watch the movies too. Other books would be Jonathon Livingston Seagull and the Trixie Belden series...both were escapes for me and I still read them...over and over.
Piers Anthony's Mode Series and his Dream a little dream and I have to say that he is my hero for writing these books. In the mode series he takes a depressed teenaged girl who cuts and without encouraging destructive behaviour makes her the hero of the series. In Dream a Little Dream , he takes a schitzophrenic, a prostitute on drugs and another soul possibly( its been a long time my memory is vague) and makes them the books heros. In case you dont know of him, he is a very prolific and famous fantasy/sci-fiction writer. Some of his fans write him about themselves and he took some of theirs stories and took parts of them and put them in his books. As I said he is my hero for this. He exposed mental illness and took the shame out of it.
There have been so many, but for sake of brevity ~ two come to mind.
The first was a reading assignment I was given back in 8th grade and the book was Kurt Vonnegut's "The Breakfast of Champions". The plot meandered and by Mr. Vonnegut's own admission, it wasn't his best work. But something magical happened when I read that book. Before then, reading was always an assignment... a chore to be completed. But when I read that book, I was having the time of my life. From then on I looked at reading as a form of entertainment, enjoyment, and education. Many years latter, I was privileged to meet Mr. Vonnegut, and I told him how much his writing had changed my life. His face broke out in the widest smile.
The second book was "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. I read it on a two week vacation to New York City, where I did some house sitting for a friend. The book is about architecture, specifically the architecture of NY. Reading a majestic book like that with NYC as the backdrop was so fantastic. But more than that, the book was layered with characters and ideas, more so than any other book I had ever read until that time. The plot-theme of the book is" the individual against the collective", and it solidified in me my ability to stand up for myself and what I believed, no matter what the opposition or the cost. Ayn Rand shaped my ideas so much that people have asked me if she was my grandmother. "Yes!" I respond. "In many ways she is."
Thanks for the post. I love to read books. I'm a regular bookworm. Very interesting post. God bless you with wit and wisdom and all the pleasant things in life.
Very thoughtful. Thanks for the book recommendation! This memoir sounds interesting. I usually read mystery/suspense, but I frequently find biographies the most thought provoking. Two of my favorites: Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton. And more recent, Condi (Rice). I think books (any genre) are so effective because they demand participation. TV (and I'm a huge General Hospital fan) is such a passive sport.
Ms. MOM @ MOMrants.com
"Never promise a rose garden"-Hannah Green
"Our of Africa" -Karen Blixen(movie Merryl Streep)
"Memories"-Mircea Eliade
"Alchemist"-Paulo Coehlio
I think like many New Zealanders I grew up reading books by Witi Ihimaera, who wrote a lot of books about life in New Zealand and the merging of Maori culture with the british culture and the changes that are seen in growing up and moving from the country to the city.
I also think Alan Duff's Once were warriors was an incredible book to read, although it was focusing on domestic violence it showed how people survive in the face of adversity. It was a very real book for many of us who grew up in the areas where it was set.
"Who moved my cheese" by Dr.Spencer Johnson.
Dear Fallen,
I recall Jonathan Livingston Seagull!! A wonderful book.
Dear RAine,
THose are a GREAT series, you are right!
Dear GW,
I read both books at a young age as well. It is amazing how the magic of reading seizes you. It is unpredictable and full of grace when it happens!
Dear Mel,
Books are SUCH an important part of life.
Dear MS. Mom,
I enjoy suspense and mystery as well. They are my first "reach for reads". But memoirs, biographies and non fiction works always touch my heart as they are REAL.
Dear Dani,
Great list. I've read two of the four. Will put the others two on my read list.
Dear S'Onnie,
I have never heard of Witi or Duff's works. This is the great thing about blogging. Learning so much about things outside of one's bubble.
Dear Donkey,
Who moved my cheese is a great short to the point book about understanding life, change, loss and self.
~Deb
I think it's unfair to ask an English teacher this question. When I was younger the book series on the Make a Wish Foundation were helpful because I have a sister with a chrinic health condition and the books gave me somehope and made me realizr that a lot of people were going through the same thing we were.
Also:
Harry Potter
To Kill A Mockingbird
The Outsiders
The Davinci Code (I know it sounds wierd, but it gave me hope that not everyone believe in all the religious nonsense)
1984 (though this administration has made it more scary than comforting, because I used to believe non of that stuff would ever happen)
Oh how beautiful...
That is why I love to read.
Recently? Quicksand by "Ellen Singer" She had to disappear after it became clear to her that her ex would never stop stalking her or trying to kill her.
It touched me because we both reacted the same way to the trama and toxic people in our lives.
It was almost like reading my story. Although the story was very different,the style of abuse and methods used were the same and instead of freaking me out,reading it made me feel..empowered somehow.
Another book that moved me was Merle's Door..about a 'free range' dog:) That was a beautiful book!
'Tuesdays with Morrie' touched my life.
how about healing music??????!!!!!!!!!!
everyone knows that Mozart,Chopin,Beethoven,Rahmaninov,Ceaikosvki are so great healing soul music ...but sometimes Joan Baez or Mettalica or James Blunt....or ...etc....can be so good for soul too...
for me Mozart or Chopin is associated with :"OUT of Africa"...Joan BAez ,Mettalica with "Never promised you a rose garden" or with
SF - Asimov ....
Rahmaninov with "Memories" M.Eliade...
Ceaikovski with "ALchemist" (also with hot green tea)....only me listen music and reading in the same time??!!
...James Blunt with Virginia Woolf)(YEARS)...
and also movie the "HOURS "with BAch
It's been hard to concentrate for me to get into a good book..
Going to check yours and others out.
Have a nice weekend ~
I have this book on my list to read, I think I'll read it next.
There are so many books that have touched my life. Any book with a redemptive theme. I also like Anne Lamott, she's very real.
Jeanette Winterson, "The Passion"...
alan
Is there a threat in this, just as a little devil's advocate thought, that a person might also become a bit obsessional about a personal concern via a book? Just curious, and thought you would definitely know.
A book that changed my life? So many, really. I don't read many novels, but in that realm I truly got a lot of empathy via Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone, which permitted me, as a male, to look at the world through the eyes of an awkward, weight-challenged female and to understand her motivations. I liked her very much by the end of the tale.
There are so many it would be impossible for me to choose one! I am reading a book now called The Introvert Advantage and I am stunned at the feeling it evokes in me.
As for Harry Potter, I LOVE Harry! My youngest daughter has always believed reading is something to do before bed. She will sit down *during the day* to read Harry! Woohoo!!!
Believe it or not, Paula Deen's autobiography touched me. It read as though she was sitting right next to you, talking to you...to top it off, she is a woman who has conquered mountains, and that, I admire her for!
Sorry it has taken me so long to stop by and say hello! I am glad to see that you are doing well, and that you had a great trip to Alaska! :)
Hugs,
Sarah
I'll go back to a couple of classics:
"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.
These books aren't exactly blueprints for living (especially the latter!), but one thing I got from reading them was an overwhelming sense of freedom.
Nice little epics, both of them.
the woman who works with fistula patients in Africa cant remember the books name but it touched our heart becasue it reminded us of how we might live in one world but our countries and our pain can sometimes be miles apart yet very alike.
Post Office - Charles Bokowski
(Lifes a bitch and then you die eh?)
Red Dwarf - Rob Grant / Doug Naylor
(You live you die, the bit in between is called life. Enjoy)
i grew up being a voracious reader. now, i just don't seem to be able to sit still long enough to read. what happens is i start reading, but never finish the book. maybe i'm not reading the right book, or maybe i'm getting my therapy thru blogging right now. i'm serious.
Dear United,
YOu are right, it must be so hard to limit your choices!
Dear Ms. L,
I love books that teach and empower too.
Dear Lone,
YEs!! Tuesdays with Morrie WAS a great read! I blubbered for weeks from the experience.
Dear Dani,
Music is a WHOLE other form of healing creative arts. I so agree.
Dear Heidi,
"CHosen" was a quick read for me. Maybe you will like it.
Dear Barbara,
Let me know what you think when you finish it.
Dear Alan,
I'm not familiar with ehr work. I'm gonna check it out.
Dear Ian,
Of course one can get fixated, even obsessed with a book. I consider a "healing" book one that helps a person widen his or her perspective in life.
Dear Traci,
THAT is what is so wonderful about books. How they touch each of us so differently. And yes, Harry Potter did wonders for my little one too. I am so grateful to Rowlings!
Dear Sarah,
Oh yes, Paula Deen's life is one that was so wrought with difficulty. And her rise to success in life, love, and finance is empowering. A friend and a family member ate at her restaurant and said it was like a dream come true to be there.
Debaser,
THOSE are good reads, I agree.
Dear JIP,
I don't know the book. But how it moved you is what is so great!
Dear Four,
I remember reading PO that years ago. Didn't read RD.
Dear Heiress,
I think it takes the right kind of environment to read for some people. I need a nice quiet or rainy day. I can't read on the train or in a coffee house like many do. Maybe that you can't find the "Right" read to grad your attention too, just like you said. And sometimes, life is so busy and hectic that thumbing through magazines is the only reading one can do.
~Deb
Hi Dr. Deb.
When I was first hospitalized, I was too psychotic and sleep deprived to understand "An Unquiet Mind" by Jamison or "Bipolar Disorder" by Mondimore.
It seemed to me that there needed to be a short, "emergency handbook" that could be given to people and their family members in emergency rooms, clinic front offices and maybe even the back of police patrol cars that would give folks something to hold onto until they could be stabalized.
I'm an author so, eventually, I wrote it myself. There aren't that many copies of it on the street yet, but the feed back suggests its reaching the people who need it. Big Springs hospital in West Texas and Stormont Vail West hospital in Topeka Kansas have both picked it up as have some private practice doctors and social workers.
I'd love to hear what you think.
http://www.lulu.com/content/1135715
Thanks,
J.D. Stottlemire
When i was 5 I killed myself, Howard Buten
Good Grief, Lolly Winston
The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime (get it on tape--best with a quirky british accent), Mark Haddon
Current Read: The Kite-Runner (love love love it so far)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt touched and changed me over twenty years ago; it's still a powerful story, and beautiful writing, today.
A short story by John L'Heureux, "The Expert on God," is one I consider so profound and well-written that I hold up all others against it.
Thanks for the post and the wonderful blog!
Hi Dr Deb,
I am from the far away land of the Philippines in Southeast Asia. I agree that reading can help a person to heal, whether "hard" or online, reading can take anyone to anywhere he/she wants to go. I have been using online reading to overcome my hypertension resulting from a kidney illness. It's been a great online reading ride. But I have also enjoyed with emotional enthusiasm "Tuesdays with Morrie" and "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". If you have some time please pass by my blog: http://myhypertensionmantra.blogspot.com
Cheers!
Dear JD,
"An Unquiet Mind" is a very good read. I also recommend "Touched by Fire" by KRJ as well.
Dear Misha,
I didn't read the first two, but loved "Kite Runner"
Dear T,
Tuck Everlasting was a special read. You are right. Touching and soulful. Didn't read the short story you mentioned. I like short stories. I recall one I read long ago that still stays with me. About a boy who dreams and sees snow everywhere.
Dear Lotus,
I hope you continue to heal! REading is curative in so many ways!
~Deb
Generic Meridia/Reductil SIBUTRAMINE HCI drug is a prescription medication thats used to help people lose weight by acting on the appetite control centers in the brain. Studies have shown that using Meridia helps patients lose weight and maintain weight loss for up to 2 years.
Xenical Orlistat weight loss drug blocks some of the fat that you eat from being absorbed by your body. Orlistat is used in the management of obesity including weight loss and weight maintenance when used with a reduced-calorie diet.
Generic Xanax Alprazolam drug without prescription is used to treat anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Alprazolam is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by decreasing abnormal excitement in the brain.
Generic Valium Diazepam drug is used to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. Valium brand medication.
Generic Ativan Lorazepam is used to treat anxiety. This drug may also be used for seizures, alcohol withdrawal, prevention of nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, tension headache, and for sleeping trouble (insomnia).
Klonopin Clonazepam drug is used to control seizures. It is also used to relieve anxiety. Klonipin brand medicine is a benzodiazepine used to treat seizures and panic disorder.
Post a Comment