ReadersMagnet Review recommends these five inspiring stories for this month.
The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
The Choice: Embrace the Possible is a gripping memoir about a young girl who survived one of the darkest chapters in human history. Dr. Edith Eva Eger was only sixteen years old when she was sent to Auschwitz along with her parents. Just hours after her parents were killed, Nazi officer Dr. Josef Mengele forced the young Edith to dance for his amusement and her survival. The year was 1944. For months, she witnessed the horrors that would forever change her life. In 1945, Edith was pulled from a pile of corpses when the American troops liberated the camps. It would take thirty-five years before she would heal and forgive herself for all that she had endured.
The Journey Home by Lori-Ellen Pisani
The Journey Home: My Journey to Find Peace of Mind and Heart While Fighting a War Against Bi-Polar Disorder is an amazing story and life journey of Lori-Ellen Pisani, a retired educator, and a life coach. For many years, Pisani hid her Bi-Polar condition from friends and colleagues. It was only after retirement that Lori-Ellen Pisani decided to tell her story, her struggles, fears, anxiety, and how she was able to survive all those years while working as an Assistant Principal. The Journey Home by Lori-Ellen Pisani is an incredible and inspiring memoir that will truly inspire us to hope and to take courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Lori-Ellen Pisani’s memoir is a must-read for those who are currently fighting their own secret battles.
Crossing the Line by Kareem Rosser
Crossing the Line is a funny and heartwarming memoir of Kareem Rosser and his brothers. Born in a community known as “The Bottom” (West Philadelphia), the Rossers loved riding their bicycles through Philly’s Fairmount Park. One day, Kareem’s brothers discover a barn full of horses. Noticing the brothers’ fascination with her horses, Lezlie Hiner offers them their escape: an after-school job in exchange for riding lessons. What started as a hobby would soon change their lives forever as the Rossers discovered their passion for polo. Crossing the Line tells the incredible story of how the Rosser brothers used the sport to hold their family together in an impoverished and violent neighborhood.
Dusk, Night, Dawn by Anne Lamott
Dusk, Night, Dawn by Anne Lamott is one of the best reads for 2021. The well-loved author known for her inspiring narratives is back with another heartwarming book filled with hope, courage, happiness, and positive thinking. Dusk, Night, Dawn examines our current collective anxiety- the climate crises, the social and political crises, and other issues that make us doubt if better days truly lie ahead. In this book, Anne shares her wisdom and faith and how we can navigate these dark times and find hope for all of us. Filled with humor, honesty, and candidness, Anne Lamott’s latest work will inspire us to seek the goodness around us.
Better, Not Bitter by Yusef Salaam
Yusef Salaam, along with four others, was wrongfully imprisoned. Salaam was incarcerated for seven years before being exonerated. Better, Not Bitter is both a memoir and a call to action against racism and miscarriage of justice. In this riveting and inspiring book, Yusef narrates his life story, from growing up in central Harlem in the ’80s, being raised by a strong, fierce mother and grandmother, his years in prison, his reentry and freedom. Better, Not Bitter exposes the rotten prison system while at the same time encouraging everyone to channel all their hate and frustration into a positive force that will bring change and reform. Yusef’s journey is filled with courage, hope, resilience, and faith.