Books that help us rise

Posted on 29 November, 2018

From moving accounts of personal growth to stories of revolution, these books will help you rise to whatever challenge you’re facing. 

Biography

Eggshell Skull – Bri Lee

In this stunning and raw memoir, Bri Lee dissects the legal system and the traumatic motions that victims of sexual assault must endure to have their story heard and believed.

As a judge’s associate fresh out of university, Bri begins working on harrowing sexual assault cases and witnesses firsthand the brutal artistry of the barristers as they defend their clients—painting pictures of the victims, undermining them through seemingly innocuous questions and, more often than not, succeeding in acquittal.

Courtroom scenes are scattered throughout her broader story—one laced with anxiety and depression—which comes to a head when she begins to confront her own childhood trauma. An incredibly important story, this novel may be hard to read but will give hope to others that have a similar history.

Cooking

Flour Water Salt Yeast – Ken Forkish

There is nothing more wholesome than baking your own bread. It evokes a sense of home, recalling the slow life where there is always time to do things from scratch, where we leave worries at the door and sink into the rhythm of folding the dough in on itself, kneading on the flour-dusted counter as we chat away to family and friends.

Flour Water Salt Yeast helps us realise that dream of domestic bliss, with delightful recipes from sourdough to pizza bases, paired with step-by-step instructions to take you all the way through to a well-crafted loaf.

There are also chapters dedicated to the history of the ingredients and a little more behind the science of such a humble food and the secrets that help our food rise to the occasion.

Short essay

A Call for Revolution – Dalai Lama and Sofia Stril-Rever 

Expanded into a short essay following conversations between the Dalai Lama and translator Sofia Stril-Rever, A Call for Revolution directly addresses the youth of the world born at the turn of the millennium.

This moving piece of writing draws from the Dalai Lama’s memories of his unusual childhood in the temples of Lhasa to his reaction following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and shifts towards his thoughts on the failures of religion and the complexities of philosophy.

Flowing all the way through these recollections is a message of optimism that we will be a generation of peace, understanding and hope.

Fiction

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman 

Eleanor Oliphant, as you can tell by the title, is completely fine. Or is she? In this stunning debut novel, Scottish writer Gail Honeyman gifts us with Eleanor, a lonely thirty-year-old introvert with a scarred past and a series of bizarre foibles that can perhaps be attributed to her eccentric and now incarcerated mother. Enter Raymond, a grubby IT fellow who frequently offends with his inappropriate footwear.

Despite her initial revulsion, Eleanor is struck by his kindness and soon an unlikely friendship is born. This is a beautiful work of fiction that gives the soul a little lift, reminding us about the immense joy that can come from small acts of kindness.

Biography

Daring to Drive – Manal Al-Sharif 

Manal Al-Sharif was born in Mecca in 1979—the same year that strict fundamentalism took hold of Saudi Arabia, resulting in Manal’s religious and conservative upbringing. From a young age, Manal adhered to fundamentalist law. Her strict observance, however,  began to wane, and she became increasingly disturbed by the gender inequalities endemic in Saudi society.

Inspired by the 47 women who got behind the wheel of cars in 1990, Manal decided to do the same thing many years later to boldly advocate for women’s equality, something for which she would be imprisoned.

This is her story, one that exalts the power of female solidarity, recognising the risk that is involved in any form of activism and celebrating the unrelenting spirit of Saudi women.

All titles available for purchase instore, paperchainbookstore.com.au

This article originally appeared in Magazine: RISE for Spring 2018, available for free while stocks last. Find out more about Magazine here.

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