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Stronger than Death: How Annalena Defied Terror and Tuberculosis in the Horn of Africa
This book will show you how to live in a time of contagious disease and fear. I am so inspired by Annalena, as I think comes across in the book. She was relentless in her love and care for the most vulnerable among us. Her legacy continues and I want to quote her nephew, with whom I messaged in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis in Italy where he lives. He said, “All is quiet. It is a time of silence and also of God.” That is just so beautiful. He is caring for his family and they are turning to faith. He also quoted Annalena, “Everything is grace.” What a privilege to get to know people like this, who live this way and with these hearts in the world. They are what bring me hope.
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Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
I loved this book especially because (spoiler alert) it ends with hope. It is so beautiful and thoughtful and richly imagined and slightly terrifying. All the right elements.
Black Death at the Golden Gate, by David K. Randall
I saw a dead rat in the streets of Nairobi about a week after reading this and felt a cold pit in my stomach. This book is a deep dive into the bubonic plague (which is still around, who knew?!) but also the way fear stoke racism and how that leads to further death and mayhem. A super relevant read right now.
On Immunity, by Eula Biss
I quote this book all the time. Biss is such an incredible essayist. If you want a thoughtful look at herd immunity, on caring for the vulnerable among us, on being a parent in an age of disease and fear, if you just want to read someone with a sharp and smart mind, this is amazing.
No More Faking Fine, by Esther Fleece
I gifted this book to many people. An excellent look at how to cling to faith in the middle of a crisis or of pain without pretending that everything is fine. I love this book.
Pandemic: Tracking Contagions from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond, by Sonia Shah
Science, history, geography, disease. It’s all here.
Illness as Metaphor, by Susan Sontag
Such a powerful essayist. This is a look at how we talk about illnesses like cancer and how the words we use can sometimes also cause harm and affect the patient.
The Empathy Exams, by Leslie Jamison
How to cultivate empathy when we feel overcome by our own fear? We need to wrestle with this question because I do not want to see the end of empathy. I’ve read this book several times.
Living Beautifully with Uncertainty and Change, by Pema Chodron
Could there be a more apt title?
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, by Lysa Terkeurst
Nope, it’s not. There is so much pain and brokenness in the world. How does our faith respond?
Devotion, poems by Mary Oliver
Because we can always, always read poetry.
What would you recommend for readers right now?
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