BOOKISH

A Not-So-Ordinary Book Discussion

STORIES OF STRENGTH IN SOLITUDE

WRITTEN BY TIFFANY KILLOREN

Books are like movies; sometimes we want to laugh and other times we reach for a story that makes us grab a cozy blanket and cry into our ice cream. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, some embrace the holiday with all of its hearts and romanticism, while others shy away from a day that can make loneliness all the more pronounced. A firm believer that any love has to start from within, I’m dedicating this month’s column to stories about inner strength amidst isolation.

Leaving equally-profound impressions, the following books (one fiction and two non) are stories of quiet strength and lives robbed of their potential. These stories will touch your heart for reasons unrelated to conversation hearts and Cupid’s bow. If you want to embrace the quiet in these cold winter days, curl up with the following and your favorite blanket. Oh, and go ahead and grab that ice cream.

What She Left Behind

(Ellen Marie Wiseman, 2013) Some books just hit you hard, and this one left a longstanding impression on me. A story within a story, this novel travels backand-forth between a young girl struggling to come to grips with a family tragedy who unknowingly opens the door to memories in an abandoned asylum. Long ago, another young woman found herself there for loving a man her family didn’t approve of, labeled insane to avoid acknowledging her free will. Both young women share a connection decades apart as one struggles with her imprisonment and the other confronts the figurative—albeit protective—walls she built around herself. This book touched me in so many ways and is a go-to when I’m looking for a gift for the readers in my life.

The Missing Kennedy

(Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff, 2015) Many consider the Kennedy family the U.S. version of the British royals, but there are secrets hidden within Camelot’s walls, and so much sadness. Rosemary Kennedy, sister of the then-future President, was lobotomized at the age of 23 and kept out of the public’s eye. Written by the niece of one of her caretakers, this book describes Rosemary’s life and answers many questions people have regarding the events leading up to her procedure—and the many years she spent in solitude after. A tough read about a decision that most of us could never comprehend, I felt like acknowledging Rosemary’s story was, in some small way, recognizing her significance in this world and a legacy every bit as important as the one left by her powerful family.

A Stolen Life

(Jaycee Dugard, 2011) There is nothing easy about this read. This story, told by the victim herself, is unimaginable. Kidnapped at 11 years old, Dugard’s story about her captivity, abuse, and eventual rescue is one that many remember hearing on the news in a moment of shock, and then relief, after she was found and given back her freedom. But there is so much more to this story. Her survival, despite a system that repeatedly failed her, speaks to a strength that many don’t have and an ability to carve a life for herself and her daughters behind walls built to keep the world away. No, the story is not a light read, but doing so acknowledges her trauma in a way she deserves. Sometimes people just need to be heard, and we honor them by listening.

Tiffany Killorenis a local author and lover of the written word. Her novel, GOOD WILL, was released in 2020 and she is always thinking

of new stories to tell. Follow her at @readandthreads on Instagram for book and life musings as she tries to balance career, family and her passion for writing one step - or word - at a time. PHOTO BY MOLLY KUPLEN