BOOKS I FINISHED - MARCH 2022

 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars, written by Kristin Harmel

Raised in the isolation of the wilderness by someone who doesn't trust people, the same person who kidnapped her, a young woman has the opportunity to help Jewish people who are fleeing the Nazis. They need her knowledge of the forest in order to survive, and she needs to be part of their lives in order to learn to live her own. 

p. 70, Humans had a responsibility to do more than just protect themselves. In the face of evil, they were compelled to save each other. It was the only way mankind could survive.

p. 269, But vengeance would only taste sweet for a second, and then it would be a permanent stain on her soul.

p. 311, "I'm broken, too. But sometimes it's the jagged edges that allow us to fit together. Sometimes it's the breaks that make us strong."

A Secret Shared, written by Patricia MacLachlan

Twins discover by accident that their younger sister isn't related to them biologically, then wonder why that information has been withheld from them. This middle grade novel is about the love of family, commitment of friendship, positive impact of caring adults in the lives of kids, and value of being honest with the people close to us.

Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level, written by Laura Tremaine

Simultaneously vulnerable and light-hearted, this book guides the reader through a process of learning to deepen relationships. One doesn't have to relate to all the author's experiences or share all the same perspectives in order to glean practical ideas and valuable principles from the questions she poses.

p. 71, I didn't doubt in the darkness what I had known in the light.

p. 153, I had spouted a lot of opinions theoretically for a long time, about politics and religion and bootstraps and aid. It's easy to talk about who deserves help and personal accountability from the comfort of a first world home. But all philosophical arguments are lost when you're faced with a human in need in front of you. I'm embarrassed that I have to keep learning this.