What Can a Good Book Do for You?
Has there been a book that has touched you deeply? Moved you? Made you laugh, made you cry . . . changed your life in some way? I call it exquisite writing—the ability to capture a reader’s heart and soul. Some writers are masters at it!
In The Red Tent, Anita Daimant does it in the first five lines: “We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of the men, who had no way of knowing . . . .” When I read those words standing in the middle of a bookstore, I literally could not put the book down. I was compelled to draw the pages together, gently closing that precious copy; knowing it would not leave my hands until I had finished reading every last page! Local Colorado author, Polly Letofski, masterfully connects with her reader in the prologue of 3MPH: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk around the World by sharing a delightfully hysterical rendition of a blasting hot day walking near Kondhali, India when she was caught in a bizarre how-could-this-possibly-happen experience. Just reading that one (of many) stories is worth the price of her book!
But it isn’t just about exquisite writing: meaningful content can grab us, too. We find that “perfect” book—the one that practically jumps off the shelf—asking to come home. Or perhaps it is a title lovingly recommended by a friend. Afformations and E squared are hot items at For Heaven’s Sake right now, because owner Dianne Fresquez believes they are transformation catalysts.
As a seasoned author, the most meaningful remarks I hear are those a reader shares about how one of my books has made a difference in her life. I remember doing a book signing at Whole Foods years ago, and observing a woman moving toward me as if on a mission, walking with strong, purposeful steps. She stood a little too close and blurted out, “Are you the one who wrote that book?” She was referring to my first book, Turtle Wisdom: Coming Home to Yourself. When I confirmed, that yes, I was the author, she went on to tell me a tearfully moving story. Without her knowledge, this woman’s sixteen-year-old daughter had been seriously contemplating suicide. Evidently her daughter’s good friend loaned her a copy of Turtle Wisdom and she later told her mother that it was because of reading my book that she decided not to take her own life. In that moment, if no one else ever read that book, my purpose would have been fulfilled. One pebble dropped in the proverbial pond ripples out with an impact that goes way beyond what we can individually see.
And a good book, recommended to a colleague or friend, may help to shift his or her perspective, or encourage them in some pivotal way. Finding Traction by Sherry Ray is a good one for someone frustrated, challenged, or stuck at work; You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay is a helpful reference for looking at what contributes to physical health challenges, and Steven Farmer’s Animal Spirit Guides is an engaging way to consider the meaning of signs and symbols found in the animal kingdom. Classics like Abraham Hicks Ask and It is Given never grow old!
The possibilities are endless. Books are an abundant resource of information, encouragement, and wisdom. And a beloved book is a true gift whose impact lives on long after it has been shared.
You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page
and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.
Paul Sweeney
Donna DeNomme is a shamanic healer, a conscious energy teacher, and a Master Success Coach. Her award-winning, internationally-published books, Turtle Wisdom, Ophelia’s Oracle, and 8 Keys to Wholeness are consistent best-sellers at For Heaven’s Sake.
This is the first of an ongoing blog series by Donna DeNomme which will cover a variety of topics.
Meet Donna DeNomme at For Heaven’s Sake! Donna is available for in-store sessions on the 2nd Saturdays and 4th Sundays during our monthly psychic fairs. Also available for private coaching or Shamanic healing sessions, gentle-touch Reiki classes, Penned Ink, Writing the Shadows, and other enrichment and empowerment classes in Denver and Golden. Call the store for appointment: 303.964.9339 or RSVP Online