In Empathy, part 1, Jamie Ford graciously offers several book suggestions which he believes could aid in increasing a reader’s empathy. I hope you were able to check out his recommendations.
In today’s post, I pulled together some staff picks in hopes that these titles may also inspire empathy. The reasons we read are as varied as the materials we choose to read, but I think most of us love to get lost in the pages of a book, so to speak. It’s the kind of experience in which the book’s world becomes real in your imagination and you feel for the characters. To me, this can be when empathy grows. And it isn’t a planned thing. Empathy can sneak up on you when you least expect it and catch you by surprise. My favorite high school teacher touted this phenomenon as a “vicarious experience” and pushed this idea on her students, encouraging us to read for the pure pleasure of it, but I think it’s more than that. I think empathy grows during vicarious moments.
How about you, reader? When was the last time you were thoroughly immersed in a book? Did you relate to the characters in surprising ways? Perhaps you had a vicarious experience, too. Tell us about it in the comments section at the end of the post. We’d love to hear it.
In the meantime, check out these staff picks:
The Hummingbird's Daughter
This book took me to a different time, place, and world with engaging characters and great descriptive writing.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
*Special note – audiobook is narrated by the author
A story about a father and son traveling through a land that has been struck by an unspecified cataclysm. Despite darkness and hopelessness pervading the journey, their love for one another keeps them going. An absolutely beautifully told and inspiring story.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
by Kim Michele Richardson
This tale of historical fiction takes the reader up and down the mountains of eastern Kentucky as Bluet, the WPA (Works Progress Administration) packhorse librarian delivers much needed literature to hill folk and navigates deep prejudice because of the color of her skin. Listen to this one if you get a chance!
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
The Marvellous Equations of the Dread
A colorful novel that explores the culture and history of Jamaica with a Rastafarian perspective. The story is very non-linear; you've been warned. Highly recommended for fans of the late Bob Marley.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
Bretagne recommends . . .
Lavinia, a white servant girl from Ireland, comes to work on a tobacco plantation and finds herself stuck between two cultures.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
by Chimamnda Mgozi Adichie
Purple Hibiscus is an exquisite novel about the emotional turmoil of adolescence, the powerful bonds of family, and the bright promise of freedom.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
Read more about the author HERE
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Imaginative novel that provides a glimpse into the mind and reality of an autistic teen.
Find it in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
A great read about the brave men and women who were part of the French Resistance.
Find in in the library catalog HERE
Also available in digital format:
