Why They Matter: Four Short & Highly Impacting Books
If you love to read, you know that some stories grab onto your heart and don't let go. Below are four fairly quick reads which took hold of me from the first time I sat down with them and have been just as meaningful with each reread. I decided to explore the reasons for not just why I believe they are worthy of being read, but are important, meaningful pieces of literature.
"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly", by Jean-Dominique Bauby
(Memoir)
Synopsis:
Bauby was a man who loved travel, food, life, and his prestigious job as the editor of the French edition of Elle magazine. Until a freak stroke while he was only in his forties left him with Locked-in Syndrome. A quadriplegic whose only means of movement and communication was to blink his left eye, he painstakingly created a story of purpose and hope even while suffering pain and lack of dignity. His paralyzed body was the diving bell which entrapped him, yet his mind was as free as a butterfly, able to remember and dream.
Why it matters:
Because in a man's darkest time, when he has lost absolutely everything except the use of his mind, he is still able to fly away to places of vitality and beauty. While films such as "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Sea Inside" make heroes out of protagonists who are also paralyzed and wish to end their lives, Bauby's writing shows abundant thankfulness for the life he was given, along with being honest about the man he was and the mistakes he made. In return, he gives the world an astounding work of strength and hope.
"Treasures Of The Snow", by Patricia St. John
(Youth Adult)
Synopsis:
Set in the alps of Switzerland, a young girl named Annette looses her mother the same night she gains a baby brother. One day a terrible accident happens, the fault of a boy named Lucien who has become a bully as the result of being bullied. Annette vows to never forgive Lucien, beginning a cycle of hate and cruelty for both of them. Until Lucien begins to change, dropping the bitterness which has begun to harden Annette. I probably read it first when I was about 10 and still love it, even still holding my breath during a treacherous journey in a snow storm, and crying at a final reveal.
Why it matters:
True forgiveness and change can't happen overnight.The characters experience very justifiable anger and must choose again and again if they will hold onto their fury or begin to forgive. It explores the cycle of bullying and how children are quick to chose peers to honor and to loathe. Few books tackle these topics in such a true and timeless way.
"A Little Princess", by Francis Hodgeson Burnett
(Children's Literature)
Synopsis:
Young Sara has had a lovely life living in India with her doting father. When he decides Sara needs a formal English education, he sends her to a boarding school along with opulent clothes and gifts. Everything is turned upside down when the school receives word that Sara's father is dead and her riches are gone. Without any family to claim her, she becomes a servant at the school. Grieving her father, Sara maintains her sweet spirit and generous nature, befriending those even worse off than herself and keeping a royal, untouchable dignity no matter her circumstances.
Why it matters:
Readers are challenged that instead of feeling sorry for Sara, they should instead pity the boarding school mistress who mistreats her out of envy and spite. It was never Sara's wealth which made her seem like a princess: it was her grace, and her practice of believing that everyone matters.
"Harrison Bergeron", by Kurt Vonnegut
(Short Story / Dystopian Fiction)
Synopsis:
So short and concise it can be read through in minutes, this dystopian tale of a world with forced equality is quietly spectacular. There, everyone is forced to be average, until one man challenges the system and shows why talent, strength, beauty and intelligence shouldn't be masked or handicapped.
Why it matters:
Every child has likely whined, "That's not fair", at some point. But what if we lived in a world where 'fair' was defined by sameness and sameness equaled restrictions? Decades after being written, this short story continues to ignite questions of justice and the benefit or harm of government regulations on society.
Notes and links:
"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" was also made into a beautiful French film.
Patricia St. John wrote a number of books for young readers set in various places around the world.
Francis Hodgeson Burnett is, of course, the author of a number of books, including the beloved classic "The Secret Garden". I highly recommend trying to find both in the editions featuring the gorgeous illustrations of Graham Rust.
"Harrison Bergeron" can be found in the short story collection "Welcome To The Monkey House". It was also adapted into a very moving 20-minute film titled "2081".
"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly", by Jean-Dominique Bauby(Memoir)
Synopsis:
Bauby was a man who loved travel, food, life, and his prestigious job as the editor of the French edition of Elle magazine. Until a freak stroke while he was only in his forties left him with Locked-in Syndrome. A quadriplegic whose only means of movement and communication was to blink his left eye, he painstakingly created a story of purpose and hope even while suffering pain and lack of dignity. His paralyzed body was the diving bell which entrapped him, yet his mind was as free as a butterfly, able to remember and dream.
Why it matters:
Because in a man's darkest time, when he has lost absolutely everything except the use of his mind, he is still able to fly away to places of vitality and beauty. While films such as "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Sea Inside" make heroes out of protagonists who are also paralyzed and wish to end their lives, Bauby's writing shows abundant thankfulness for the life he was given, along with being honest about the man he was and the mistakes he made. In return, he gives the world an astounding work of strength and hope.
"Treasures Of The Snow", by Patricia St. John(Youth Adult)
Synopsis:
Set in the alps of Switzerland, a young girl named Annette looses her mother the same night she gains a baby brother. One day a terrible accident happens, the fault of a boy named Lucien who has become a bully as the result of being bullied. Annette vows to never forgive Lucien, beginning a cycle of hate and cruelty for both of them. Until Lucien begins to change, dropping the bitterness which has begun to harden Annette. I probably read it first when I was about 10 and still love it, even still holding my breath during a treacherous journey in a snow storm, and crying at a final reveal.
Why it matters:
True forgiveness and change can't happen overnight.The characters experience very justifiable anger and must choose again and again if they will hold onto their fury or begin to forgive. It explores the cycle of bullying and how children are quick to chose peers to honor and to loathe. Few books tackle these topics in such a true and timeless way.
"A Little Princess", by Francis Hodgeson Burnett
(Children's Literature)Synopsis:
Young Sara has had a lovely life living in India with her doting father. When he decides Sara needs a formal English education, he sends her to a boarding school along with opulent clothes and gifts. Everything is turned upside down when the school receives word that Sara's father is dead and her riches are gone. Without any family to claim her, she becomes a servant at the school. Grieving her father, Sara maintains her sweet spirit and generous nature, befriending those even worse off than herself and keeping a royal, untouchable dignity no matter her circumstances.
Why it matters:
Readers are challenged that instead of feeling sorry for Sara, they should instead pity the boarding school mistress who mistreats her out of envy and spite. It was never Sara's wealth which made her seem like a princess: it was her grace, and her practice of believing that everyone matters.
"Harrison Bergeron", by Kurt Vonnegut(Short Story / Dystopian Fiction)
Synopsis:
So short and concise it can be read through in minutes, this dystopian tale of a world with forced equality is quietly spectacular. There, everyone is forced to be average, until one man challenges the system and shows why talent, strength, beauty and intelligence shouldn't be masked or handicapped.
Why it matters:
Every child has likely whined, "That's not fair", at some point. But what if we lived in a world where 'fair' was defined by sameness and sameness equaled restrictions? Decades after being written, this short story continues to ignite questions of justice and the benefit or harm of government regulations on society.
Notes and links:
"The Diving Bell And The Butterfly" was also made into a beautiful French film.
Patricia St. John wrote a number of books for young readers set in various places around the world.
Francis Hodgeson Burnett is, of course, the author of a number of books, including the beloved classic "The Secret Garden". I highly recommend trying to find both in the editions featuring the gorgeous illustrations of Graham Rust.
"Harrison Bergeron" can be found in the short story collection "Welcome To The Monkey House". It was also adapted into a very moving 20-minute film titled "2081".
Comments