In chapter, “Daily Strength for Daily Needs” Schwalbe talks about his mother reconnecting with an old friend and how they gave her gifts “that would change what was left of her life” (88). One gift was a book which contained quite a bit of bible quotes and religious poetry. This book was with the Mary Anne almost 24/7. The rest of the chapter Schwalbe tells us that he wasn’t much of a religious person unlike his brother and sister since they were children and how his mother began to bring in Christian faith based books into the book club. The next chapter “People of the Book” begins with a visit to the doctors and some good news. The chemo Schwalbe’s mother is receiving is working and some of the tumors have shrunk. Schwalbe says, “With the good news from the doctor, we exchange books. Everything is back to the new normal again.” Though shortly after Mary Anne became more ill. Toward the end of the chapter the author and his mother discuss the book “People of the Book” and he reads a passage of “Daily Strength for Daily Needs” that his mother had placed a marker in.
Books are obviously a major part of Schwalbe’s life as well as his mother. He wrote a book about reading books so it’s pretty clear but in the end of the chapter “People of the Book” Mary Anne expresses the importance of books a bit more. She says “When I think back on all the refugee camps I visited, all over the world, the people always asked for the same thing: books. Sometimes even before medicine or shelter-they wanted books for their children” and she goes on to say “If Afghanistan doesn’t have books, the people there don’t have much of a chance.” This got me thinking on when and how I began to read books as much as I could. When I was in the third grade my sister was hospitalized for a couple months and during that time when I wasn’t there with her I was at home reading. Reading became my way to cope with what was going on and ever since then reading became a source of comfort and a way to escape the real world for a while.
So this brings me to ask, what are your opinions on books? Do you find the same or similar comfort in books as Mary Anne, Schwalbe, and I? Do you see reading as a chore or an obligation? Do you think finding comfort in a book is sort of crazy or perfectly sane?
Books are obviously a major part of Schwalbe’s life as well as his mother. He wrote a book about reading books so it’s pretty clear but in the end of the chapter “People of the Book” Mary Anne expresses the importance of books a bit more. She says “When I think back on all the refugee camps I visited, all over the world, the people always asked for the same thing: books. Sometimes even before medicine or shelter-they wanted books for their children” and she goes on to say “If Afghanistan doesn’t have books, the people there don’t have much of a chance.” This got me thinking on when and how I began to read books as much as I could. When I was in the third grade my sister was hospitalized for a couple months and during that time when I wasn’t there with her I was at home reading. Reading became my way to cope with what was going on and ever since then reading became a source of comfort and a way to escape the real world for a while.
So this brings me to ask, what are your opinions on books? Do you find the same or similar comfort in books as Mary Anne, Schwalbe, and I? Do you see reading as a chore or an obligation? Do you think finding comfort in a book is sort of crazy or perfectly sane?