“Nothing is so privileged as thinking history belongs to the past.”

It’s been a minute, 2 at 27. I’ve been busy birthing babies and counseling kiddos. My reading game is still strong, but my writing game is weak. Luckily, I’ve got Rae and Tracky keeping the good reads and recs coming!

Recently, I picked up a non-fiction that was short, sad, sweet, and surprising. Anyone remember John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns? He just dropped a book that was so good that Sharon McMahon put it in her Summer Book Club. And that’s saying something coming from America’s History Teacher!

Can you name what the leading cause of death worldwide has been for the past 148 of the 150 years? I’ll give you a hint—you probably wouldn’t think it’s as impactful as it is. With the exception of the COVID-19 virus in 2020 and 2021, the world’s largest killer is….drumroll, please…tuberculosis! Even scarier, between the years of 1985 and 2005, about the same amount of people died from tuberculosis as in World War I and World War II combined. Do I have your attention now?

While on a humanitarian trip in 2013 to Sierra Leone, Green encounters Henry, a charming and thoughtful TB patient. Initially thinking the boy was his pre-teen son’s age, Green is shocked when he discovers that Henry has just turned 18 and entered adulthood. What started as a brief conversation between strangers develops into deep conversations and visits with friends as Green cheers Henry on through life-saving treatment as his quality of life declines.

The back and forth between history and Henry is incredibly captivating and gut-wrenching. Green paints a picture of the societal, medical, and financial issues that surround the reasons for the prevalence of the bacterial lung infection around the world. Henry’s words and story share the impact that the disease can have on a person’s life, and the power of saving it. A heavier read with a lot of hope, I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Posted by Michelle

“If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.” —Elbert Hubbard

Book lovers, we’re in luck! My latest read, The Names by Florence Knapp, involves both loyalty and cleverness. It’s no secret we’re staunch Jenna fans—when it comes to lit recommendations, she consistently lives up to her secret service code name Twinkle. Other authors we feel a loyalty to also promoted this debut novel. Hello Beautiful’s Ann Napolitano gushed: “A truly gorgeous, heart-opening novel. I couldn’t put it down.” Jojo Moyes had this to say: “This beautifully written, wise, and tender first novel is an utter original.”

And who doesn’t love an utter original? We all likely agree that names carry significant weight, but how many of us believe that a name can completely change the trajectory of our lives? Knapp’s story revolves around Cora and Gordon, an off-kilter British couple. (By the way, off-kilter is a euphemism.) Gordon is a tyrant. He’s a well-respected physician by day, and a monster by night. Sadly, Cora is a shell of a human. When she and her daughter, Maia, walk to the registrar’s office to officially name a new baby boy, Cora has a decision to make. Does she defy Gordon? Appease Maia? Or follow her own inspiration? The story follows the baby boy’s life as Bear, Julian, and Gordon. The stark differences between these lives will surprise you. They’ll make you think too. I liked this novel—I doubt I’d read it a second time because the unique and clever premise packs some power that works best the first time you pass Go.

P.S. If you liked the movie Sliding Doors, this one’s for you.