I’m so darned happy! Today, I came across a 2021 article I wrote about our Little Free Library experience and the pleasures of reading. The piece was picked up by The Globe and Mail and an expanded version was later published by Reader’s Digest Canada.

Here is an excerpt of that article.

“Through my teens, reading transported me to other places and eras. I spent hours with characters, like the underdogs in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and historical fiction heroines whose courage I reached for. I was exposed to other cultures and perspectives. Books taught me about life and how people overcame adversity. Even the inner lives of protagonists enduring misery in tragic stories like Flowers in the Attic brought solace. Alice Munro’s protagonist, Rose, in Who Do You Think You Are made me feel less alone in the things I struggled against. Literature teaches us that self-esteem and empathy grow in equal measure as we come to understand ourselves and our place in the world.”

The source of my joy is that all these years later, I still feel the exact same way as a reader. I’m endlessly curious about life, human nature and how we are shaped. Literature gives me insights and questions to pursue. I love it. My fondest wish is that my writing brings that same uplift to other people who love books and the written word.

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