America’s favorite Hallmark holiday has concluded this past week. Valentine’s Day is traditionally based on love, admiration, and uncontested friendships. However, for some folks, this holiday is reminiscent of the bitter taste of rejection after countless failed relationships. I have composed a wide variety of book recommendations based on the theme “Heart Breaks and Aches” to encourage broken-hearted individuals out there, that life isn’t that bad, and this too shall pass.

“Uncultured: A Memoir” by Daniella Mestyanek Young

What makes a cult, a cult? The author blurs the lines between illuminating her emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive childhood in the religious fringe group, the Children of God, with the U.S. Army. This true story is a startling reminder that children are resilient in the face of adversity. The reader can’t help but empathize with Daniella’s traumatizing childhood, feel inspired as she escapes the Family, and conflicted as Daniella joins the military. Daniella becomes a trailblazer for women in the army and a leader among men; however, even though she is in a leadership role, she must, once again, conform to a male-dominated world in order to survive. The book ends on a roller coaster. What does a lifetime of abuse, stress and brainwashing do to the body? Read Uncultured and you will find out!

“The Worst Hard Times: The Untold Stories of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl” by Timothy Egan

We have all seen the horrific photos of the Dust Bowl during America’s Great Depression. Large, black dust storms engulfing outlying communities, killing livestock and endless acres of crops. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Timothy Egan reconnects the images with a terrifying narrative. His research follows several families hoping to make a fortune in ‘No-Man’s l land’. With poor land management, economic depression and a general lack of resources, the people of the high plains make your everyday struggles appear to be a walk in the park. This is a relevant non-fiction account of the importance of living simply, within means, and being grateful for all that you have.

“Habibi” by Craig Thompson

This story follows two enslaved children across vast landscapes of desert sands and ancient cities. They become each other’s support system as their stories continue to intertwine throughout their hardships. Once Dodola is sold off as a child bride, the two protagonists are separated, and we see how their lives painfully unfold in a culture full of greed, lust, and fear. The illustrations are lyrical yet haunting. This graphic novel is ultimately a parable with references to questionable Islamic and Christian stories. Days after reading Habibi, you will have flashbacks to the movement, the heartbreak and the perseverance of these two fictional characters.

“The Door of No Return” by Kwane Alexander

Winner of the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award, author Kwame Alexander brings a common and haunting African heritage tale to life. Written in a poetic format, the short stanza chapters capture the thoughts and experiences of an 11-year-old boy swaddled in the safety of his village until one night, his world is turned upside down and he faces the worst oppression one can imagine. He is sent captive on a torturous, traumatizing and downward spiral into the bowels of the Slave Trade and away from everything that is loved. This is a tear-jerking read about the horrors inflicted on an innocent group of people and their will to survive, cope and escape.

By Andrea Marsh

Communications Coordinator