When we read a book, whether it is a novel, a memoir, or even historical fiction—and the story really hits home, we ask why.
What makes the story so moving and touching to us?
There is something about it that resonates with us.
It is likely that we recognize ourselves in it.
Or we see someone we love or know in one of the characters.
After we finish the book, we cannot stop thinking about it.
The characters seem to be talking to us.
Was it the internal dialogue in the story? Did something about it sound familiar—perhaps something we have often thought about?
The characters’ struggles and conflicts may mirror our own. They may be going through something we have experienced or are still experiencing.
The author may have written about a situation we can identify with. The words may be so well chosen that they express something we have never known how to articulate. Perhaps there is a paragraph that tugs at us, and now we cannot let it go.
Like us, the characters may face a fork in the road. Neither path is ideal, so we must weigh the pros and cons of choosing one over the other.
What if we do not choose? What if we do nothing? Then we become stagnant. If that were the entire story, we would become frustrated and slam the book shut, unsatisfied with the outcome.
But back to the book: What did the character actually do? Do we agree with the character’s choice? How did the story end and are we happy with how it ends?
If we learn a life lesson after reading the last page, the experience can feel therapeutic. It is like talking something through with a counsellor, except the conversation takes place between us and the protagonist. Her friends, her support network, and even her antagonist may help us find a solution in our own lives.
Fictional stories that do this may be considered bibliotherapeutic books—or, in the nonfiction world, self-help books.
Both of my books, Kintsugi: A Woman and Saint Annie, will make us stop and think about ourselves and those we love.
While writing them, I certainly did. They became my own self-help books, and they may become yours. It feels good to identify with a story and relate to its characters.
Both are stories of trauma, identity, resilience, and healing that help readers reflect on their own lives. Other examples include The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.
Have you read a book like this recently? Can you think of any others that deliver this promise of awareness?