“In these soaring, open-hearted essays, Vanessa Zoltan writes with fierce brilliance about suffering, survival, and the kind of meaning in life that can withstand real scrutiny.”—John Green, bestselling author of
The Fault in Our Stars
and
The Anthropocene Reviewed
A deeply felt exploration of the ways our favorite books can shape and heal us, from the host of
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
.
Our favorite reads keep us company, give us hope, and help us find meaning in a chaotic world. In this fresh and relatable work, atheist chaplain Vanessa Zoltan blends memoir and personal growth as she grapples with the notions of family legacy and identity through the lens of her favorite novel,
Jane Eyre
. Informed by her training at the Harvard Divinity School and filtered through the pages of
as well as
Little Women
,
Harry Potter
, and
The Great Gatsby
, Zoltan explores topics ranging from the trauma she has inherited as the granddaughter of four Holocaust survivors to finding hope, meaning, and even magic in our deeply fractured times.
Brimming with a love of classic literature and the tenderness of self-reflection, the book also reveals simple techniques for reading any work as a sacred text—from Virginia Woolf to
Anne of Green Gables
to baseball scorecards.
Whether you're an avowed "Eyrehead" or a voracious reader and pop culture fan, this deeply felt and inspiring book will light the way to a more intimate appreciation for whatever books you love to read.