Books That Relate to Now

Throughout the pandemic, there have been three books that I've read in the past that I keep thinking about. I am not sure if they will be the best recommendations right now, but they have helped me to keep perspective.



Summary: Vinh Chung was born in South Vietnam, just eight months after it fell to the communists in 1975. His family was wealthy, controlling a rice-milling empire worth millions; but within months of the communist takeover, the Chungs lost everything and were reduced to abject poverty. Knowing that their children would have no future under the new government, the Chungs decided to flee the country. In 1979, they joined the legendary “boat people” and sailed into the South China Sea, despite knowing that an estimated two hundred thousand of their countrymen had already perished at the hands of brutal pirates and violent seas.

My thoughts on how this relates now: This book helps you realize that things can always be worse, you can get through hard things and hoarding can be a selfish act that doesn't pay off.

Learn more here.



Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

My thoughts on how this relates now: This book discusses a fictional devastating pandemic that completely transforms humanity in a brutal way. Our reality is not as bad as this fictional world, but it is interesting the change that can happen with one major incident.

Learn more here.



MISS SUZANNA SPENCER has successfully avoided marriage, waiting for love and equality in a husband, but when her father suddenly becomes ill, she agrees to his dying wish to marry Mr. Lacy and secure her future. Cast suddenly into a mourning period, Suzanna and Mr. Lacy agree to keep their engagement a secret until the proper six months have passed.

Suzanna and Mr. Lacy find themselves thrown together with Miss Grysham and her handsome uncle Lord Haversley, everything becomes complicated. If only Lord Haversley didn t expose his true bravery. If only there wasn t so much more to him than a gaudy Lord in Parliament. If only he would leave Suzanna alone. As the threat of smallpox looms close, all four friends must work together and apart to save the lives of those they love.

My thoughts on how this relates now: This book mentions smallpox and how an immunization came to be. It's interesting to see the different perspectives on immunization and how devastating a disease can be.

Learn more here.

What books have you thought about during this pandemic?


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