Welcome to our new Corporate Communications intern Gianna Lakenauth! Gianna shares the five books that most influenced her. Share your own!
My story begins in a little country in South America called Guyana, where I lived for most of my childhood. From a young age I understood that books could take you to places you may never otherwise visit and help you experience things you may never otherwise encounter; I understood that books could open a world of possible.
Unfortunately, there were no libraries near me in Guyana. Although I never struggled for food or shelter, books were luxuries my family could not afford. My reading was limited to the daily newspaper, school books, and the handful of picture books I read over and over again.
My family and I moved to the United States when I was eleven years old for a combination of reasons, but it all boiled down to this: my parents wanted a better life for me and my sister. It was the summer of 2004. I will never forget that summer because it was the first time I went to a public library. In retrospect it was not the most elegant library—it was dark and musty and kids were running, but for me it was a little piece of heaven. Standing there in that library I checked out my first book...which changed my life.
Here are the five books that have most influenced me:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter was my first-ever chapter book. I finished it in two days and immediately started reading the rest of the series. Harry Potter will always have a special place in my heart because it was the book that started it all. After completing the Harry Potter series my love of reading turned into an obsession. In fact, whenever I was grounded (not that it was often) I was not allowed to read. Taking my phone away and/or my television privileges meant nothing to me, so my aunt decided to take away my reading privileges, knowing that would be a true punishment.
The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal: This is a true recount of Simon, a Jewish man imprisoned in a concentration camp, who over a series of days listens to the confessions of a dying Nazi soldier. I read this my freshman year of college for a class on reconciliation and justice in post-conflict societies and really loved this book because it made me question so many things. Can someone forgive a person for an act they did not commit against them? Can someone forgive a person on behalf of everyone else without their explicit permission? Are certain acts too inhumane to be forgivable?
Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda: Pablo Neruda has a gift with words. Every time I read one of his poems I wish that I could speak Spanish because I can only imagine how beautiful the original must be. This is one of my favorite poetry books because it inspired me to write poetry myself. Because his works are translated there are different versions, so if you check him out make sure to read from a reputable translator.
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan: I read this book while I was working in Berlin over this past summer. Some of the stories in this book still haunt me. I find myself thinking about these stories at the most ordinary moments which is how I know I will carry this book with me for a long time. It is hard to put into words exactly what it is about this book that resonates with me so much, but here is a reaction to one of stories that I originally wrote in my journal:
There was a moment a few months ago when as the sun was setting the words blurred on the page of the book I was reading, The Opposite of Loneliness: humans…whales…echo and I remember feeling exactly what the author was feeling. Why should humans care about whales? As I kept reading, the water never reached him (the whale) in time and he had one eye pressed into the sand and the other staring up at the stars with the sure knowledge of his impending doom. Why do we ever care about anything? As Marina reached her hand out, I understood in that moment that being human has no rationalization. Parts of us will always reach out no matter the inevitability of an action. As the page blurred and the sun light disappeared I realized that parts of me, like Marina, will always reach out despite of logic, statistics, or knowledge. It was a relief.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: The Fault in Our Stars blew me away because it was so unexpected. It was profoundly sad naturally, but I think John Green did such a great job of depicting a realistic account of people who live with cancer. Of course, everyone’s story is different but that is what stuck out to me the most. I found myself crying, laughing, and relating to this story, something I would have never expected from a story about two teenagers with cancer. This book also gave me solace in a time when one of my loved ones was diagnosed with cancer and it was very comforting to read that despite of the bad days, as it reminded me there will be good days too.
What are the five books that most influenced your own life?
