Can Books Change Lives?
by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas Can books changes lives? We all know the Bible can. But what about fiction? Thinking back on my own reading experiences, I would have to say yes. Reading awakens me to the beauty and strength of words and stories. Stories transport me to worlds I never knew and other places I have no way of knowing. They open my eyes to the ways of people of different cultures and time periods. Books fueled a life-long desire to learn. I know I�m a different person because of books. The first book I remember reading was The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. Farley�s writing opened my eyes to the world of horses, to life in Arabia, and to the spunk of a boy about my age at the time. I still remember being transported to that place, to that world, and being immersed in it. Sophie�s Choice by William Styron took the historical facts of the Holocaust and made them real through the characters he brought to life. He humanized that devastating time in ways no history bo...