Freedom: a word often taken for granted and not well understood. Let’s look at a few books that help us to understand and appreciate the freedom we were given.
The Boy Who Said No: An Escape To Freedom by Patti Sheehy
In order to really celebrate and understand why we celebrate Fourth of July, we have to focus on the stories of others, whether from America or not, who didn’t always have the freedom that we have today. The Boy Who Said No tells us a story of a young man from Cuba who has been drafted into the military, and later joins the Special Forces. As we go through Frank’s journey and his strong desire to escape the Cuban military and head to America, we are able to appreciate how other countries view America. This book is the perfect true-life novel to make you really appreciate how far our country has come and the freedom we have not always had the privilege of having.
Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
Another great way we can look at freedom, is through the life experiences of others. This book gives us an insight on the life of our author, a recent college graduate, trying to find a place in the world, and who also happened to just be diagnosed with leukemia, with a 35 percent chance of survival. This memoir takes us through Jaouad’s tough journey and shows us what its’ like to fight for freedom from something so deadly and horrible. We can read this book and appreciate the life we’ve been given, and the access to so many beautiful things, as we see the world through Jaouad’s eyes. For more memoirs like this one, click here.
An Ordinary Wonder by Buki Papillon
Sometimes, freedom is found in a smaller way, such as in the homes we were raised in and the people who raised us. An Ordinary Wonder tells us the story of a boy who goes off to boarding school, in an attempt to get a way from his rather horrid home life. As we see him fall in love and battle with embarrassment, self pity, and changes we can appreciate his drive to succeed and have a life of his own. This fictional novel is perfect to read and give us encouragement to use the freedom we have to our full potential.
For a similar article about freedom, click here.
FEATURED IMAGE VIA BESTLIFE