Welcome

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“A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day.”

Hwang Bo-reum “Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop”

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“The trouble with my body was that I “had to carry it around with me.”

Naoise Dolan “Exciting Times”

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“Grief was like a memory keeper. It showed me moments I’d forgotten, and I was grateful, even as my stomach hollowed out. I never wanted to forget them, no matter how painful it was to remember.”

Isabel Ibañez “What the River Knows”

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“I know who I am until somebody questions it, and then I have to start all over again. It’s exhausting.”

Anita Heiss “Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia”

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“If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But when it's in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn't mean it's no longer love.”

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ “Stay with Me”

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“My soul sees its equal in you.”

Renee Ahdieh “The Wrath and the Dawn”

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“Only after Mom went missing did you realize that her stories were piled inside you, in endless stacks. Mom's everyday life used to go on in a repeating loop, without a break. Her everyday words, which you didn't think deeply about and sometimes dismissed as useless when she was with you, awoke in your heart, creating tidal waves.”

Kyung-Sook Shin “Please Look After Mom”

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“Shame can be sneaky. It tries to tell you that you are not good enough. My personal experience with a chronic illness allows for special empathy and compassion for those who experience chronic illnesses or pain.”

Ilana Jacqueline “Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness”

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“Losing you,” she said, her dark eyes searching his face. “To you, Nena died. To her, you left. Those are two very different griefs.”

Isabel Cañas “Vampires of El Norte”