When I talk with people about their therapy, they often mention books that meant a lot to them. Sometimes therapists recommend books, and, just as often, we find them by accident as we search to understand ourselves.
Many times an author or character’s comment has connected me to a memory or insight about my own feelings. In The Road, Cormac McCarthy’s bleak novel about love, the father’s emotional protection of his son reminded me of the absence of such protection in my relationship with my own father. The novel’s scenes of a parent’s steadfast protection supplied a broken piece of my history. These missing emotional pieces, once collected, help us feel more whole. Many others have experienced this too, as they came to understand more deeply the details of their life story.
Recommending Books
Books listed here are either ones that I think highly of (these include my initials, TKS) or ones that someone else has recommended (that individual’s initials will be included, unless they prefer to be anonymous). If you wish to recommend a book that’s been helpful to you, please send the title, author, year of publication (if you have it), a brief description of the book, and an explanation of why it was meaningful. Published book reviews are readily available, but the ones appearing on this site will also have a uniquely personal touch.
Books in these and other categories are welcome:
- FICTION
- POETRY
- MEMOIRS/PERSONAL HISTORIES
- OTHER NONFICTION (including books by therapists)