It’s not just every cloud that has a silver lining. In this segment on Sound Effect, Gabriel Spitzer speaks with King County Supervising Librarian Amber Slaven, who curated a list of books with messages of hope in spite of gloom.
'Wondering Who You Are: A Memoir'
First on her list is "Wondering Who You Are: A Memoir" by Sonya Lea.
What if one day, your partner’s memory was erased and an entire lifetime of shared memories dissipated? That’s what happened to Sonya Lea when her husband of 23 years underwent surgery to treat a rare cancer of the appendix and woke up with no memory of the couple’s life together.
The book chronicles the family’s recovery as Sonya recounts the story of their marriage and life together – the good along with the bad.
You can listen to an interview with Sonya Lea at NPR.org
'The Three Einsteins'
Sarah Galvin’s book of poetry, “The Three Einsteins” can be dark, but it’s also brimming with optimism. Slaven calls her writing “weird, pervy, and oddly relatable.”
Sarah Galvin is a regular contributor to The Stranger, and her book of essays about LGBTQ weddings comes out later this year.
'The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian'
The third and final book on Slaven’s list is Sherman Alexie’s "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”.
Determined to leave the Spokane Indian Reservation, 14-year old Arnold Spirit Junior enrolls in an all-white high school that has an Indian for a mascot. Faced with hostility at home and discrimination at school, Arnold finds solace in drawing. The book was illustrated by local artist Ellen Forney.
Fair warning: this book might make you cry.
