RECOVERY
Books
The Odyssey by Homer
The Odyssey is a major ancient Greek epic poem attributed to Homer. It is the sequel to The Iliad, another epic that depicts the stories of the Trojan War. Following ten long years of fighting in Trojan War, The Odyssey continues the story of the Greek hero Odysseus as he embarks on a voyage to his home of Ithaca. However, after he enrages the Cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus and his crew were cursed by the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, to wander the sea aimlessly for ten years. Odysseus and his men faced continuous dangers and distractions, from the cannibalistic Laestrygonians and the enchanting witch-goddess of Circe, to the haunting Underworld and the treacherous Scylla and Charybdis. After ten lengthy years of wandering and losing his entire crew, the goddess Athena finally intervenes on Odysseus's behalf and helps him find his way back to Ithaca. After arriving at his home, Odysseus finds his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus threatened by hundreds of suitors. With help from his son and Athena, Odysseus kills all of the suitors out of revenge and finally reclaims his home in Ithaca.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus was repeatedly demoralized and threatened, danger after danger. Although his suffering was mainly self-inflicted, Odysseus still manages to overcome all obstacles by recovering his composure mentally and emotionally. In the end, the Greek hero takes back his home, wife, and son that he had missed for twenty long years.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus was repeatedly demoralized and threatened, danger after danger. Although his suffering was mainly self-inflicted, Odysseus still manages to overcome all obstacles by recovering his composure mentally and emotionally. In the end, the Greek hero takes back his home, wife, and son that he had missed for twenty long years.
The Ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh
The epic of Gilgamesh of one of the earliest known works of literature, but it encompasses themes that we can still relate to today. Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, is a god-like ruler that lacks the human qualities of compassion and does not care for his people. One day, Gilgamesh meets a man named Enkidu that had spent his life in the wilderness, and after a brief fight, the two become close friends. Confident in their combined strength, Gilgamesh brings Enkidu into the Cedar Forest to slay the monstrous demi-god Humbaba. However, Enkidu is injured in the struggle and becomes marked for death by the gods. After Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is overwhelmed with grief and desperately seeks for a way to bring his friend back to life. The King of Uruk embarks on a lengthy journey to find the legendary Utnapishtim, who claims that there is no secret of eternal life. Utnapishtim gives Gilgamesh a plant that could "make him young again," and as Gilgamesh takes the plant, its thorns cause him to bleed. A snake devours Gilgamesh's flower and all seemed lost for Gilgamesh, but he had learned a valuable lesson from his journey. After seeing his own blood, Gilgamesh realized that he was still alive and had a long life to live. Although there was nothing that could bring Enkidu back to life, the memories that the two friends shared will live on forever. As the epic ends, Gilgamesh is seen, for the first time, admiring the great walls that his people had built. Gilgamesh had finally recovered from the emotional trauma of losing his friend and had blossomed into a compassionate ruler.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
The Old Man and the Sea is set in Cuba during the time period of the 1950s. An old fisherman named Santiago had gone 84 days without catching a fish. The man had no family and practically no money or belongings, and his only friend was a young boy named Manolin. All of the young fishermen in the town look down upon Santiago as an old man with nothing but bad luck. One day, Santiago decides to head out to sea, confident that it would be the day that he would catch a fish. Sure enough, he snags an enormous marlin and begins an epic struggle to kill the fish. The old man is motivated to bring back the fish to his town, proving that he was not the washed-up fisherman that everyone thought he was. Although Santiago accomplishes the incredible feat of killing the marlin after three days of battling, sharks are drawn to the scent of the blood and devour the entire marlin. The dejected Santiago drags back the skeleton of the fish to shore, but everyone is still amazed by what he had accomplished.
Although The Old Man and the Sea does not have a fairy tale ending, Santiago manages to recover his former pride and glory by proving that he is still a very capable fisherman. Although Santiago was unable to bring back the entire marlin, he was ultimately successful in restoring honor to his name and earning the respect of other fishermen.
Although The Old Man and the Sea does not have a fairy tale ending, Santiago manages to recover his former pride and glory by proving that he is still a very capable fisherman. Although Santiago was unable to bring back the entire marlin, he was ultimately successful in restoring honor to his name and earning the respect of other fishermen.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
In this novel, a young man named Siddhartha embarks on a lifelong quest to attain Nirvana, the state of spiritual enlightenment. The son of a prosperous Brahmin priest of the Hindu faith, Siddhartha finds himself unable to reach enlightenment from the daily teachings of the esteemed priests. Defying the objections of his father, Siddhartha leaves his home with his friend Govinda on a journey to reach enlightenment. The two friends experience the ascetic life of the Samanas, refraining from food, water, and the comforts of living. However, Siddhartha grows tired of this life as well and decides that he must follow his own path to enlightenment. As Siddhartha ventures into a prosperous town, he meets a beautiful courtesan named Kamala. Enchanted by her beauty and the life of a wealthy merchant, Siddhartha quickly falls into a lapse of worldly desires. For numerous years, the young man's pursuit of enlightenment is forgotten, and he becomes addicted to a life of money, gambling, and sex. One day, Siddhartha realizes that the material world was slowly killing him without providing him with the enlightenment for which he has been searching. Siddhartha flees and wanders until he finds a river. He considers drowning himself, but he instead falls asleep on the riverbank. Siddhartha meets a ferryman named Vasudeva who agrees to teach him how to find inner peace. After studying and meditating for many years, Siddhartha has the revelation that, just as the water of the river flows into the ocean and is recovered by rain, all forms of life are interconnected in a cycle without beginning or end.
Siddhartha may have lived a part of his life shamefully as a materialistic man. However, he redeems himself by abandoning his worldly desires and resuming his quest for enlightenment. Siddhartha is successful in recovering from the failures of his journey by ultimately finding the inner peace of Nirvana.
Siddhartha may have lived a part of his life shamefully as a materialistic man. However, he redeems himself by abandoning his worldly desires and resuming his quest for enlightenment. Siddhartha is successful in recovering from the failures of his journey by ultimately finding the inner peace of Nirvana.
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
In The Little Prince, the pilot used to have a great imagination when he was a kid. Drawing pictures used to be one of his favorite hobbies. After reading a book called True Stories, the pilot drew a picture of a boa swallowing an elephant. He was so proud of himself until he showed his picture to the adults, who told him to quit drawing and to do something useful with his life. The adults discouraged the pilot and he never drew another picture, which caused him to slowly lose his imagination. Later on in the book when he crashes his plane, a Little Prince appears and tells him to draw him a sheep. The pilot finds some of his hidden imagination and draws a picture for the Little Prince. Throughout the rest of the story, the Little Prince causes the pilot to slowly recover his imagination. He asks him to draw more pictures, and he asks him questions that required the use of the pilot's imagination. The pilot also has imagined what life is like on the planet of the Little Prince. The pilot has never been off Earth, so he does not know what life is like on other planets. At the end of the story, we know that the pilot fully recovered his imagination. He drew a barren landscape, with one star in the sky and called it the loveliest landscape in the world.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath is a novel about the difficult lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression. Evicted from their farmland because of the Dust Bowl, the Joad family, composed of Tom, Ma, Pa, Uncle John, Rosasharn, and others, are forced to head west in search of work. They find themselves traveling amongst thousands of other "Okies," competing for job openings in California. The Joads encounter great hardships during their arduous journey to California. The oldest members of the families, Granma and Grampa, die in the middle of their voyage. Once they cross the borders of the Golden State, they are immediately met by suspicious Californians and corrupt police officers. The discrimination and animosity they face from the Californian natives are compounded by Rosasharn Joad giving birth to a stillborn baby. The Joad family falls apart one by one over the course of the novel, but those that remain adamantly pursue the American dream of living a better life. Despite facing dangers from government officials and prejudiced people, the Joads and other Okies rebound from difficult situations to fight for their rights. Migrant workers during the Great Depression were forced to recover their physical, mental, and emotion health on a daily basis simply to survive each day.
Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot : A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy that Dropped from the Sky by Margot Theis Raven
This colorful children’s book depicts a heart-warming tale of the Berlin Airlift. Although many people believed that candy was a luxury that pilots should not waste time delivering, American Lt. Gail Halvorsen thought differently. He believed that the candy gave the children pleasure because it tasted good, and also was symbolic of the affection and sympathy that the pilot had for the children of Berlin. Mercedes Simon was one of these children who were deeply distressed by the blockade of Berlin. Mercedes’ mother told her about Lt. Halvorsen and how he had come to be called the "American Chocolate Pilot." Mercedes wanted so badly to be one of the children who received his candy, but when she went to the air force base she was unable to catch one of the candy packets that were thrown out of the plane. Mercedes wrote to the Chocolate Pilot asking him to drop some candy in her yard as he flew over. Lt. Halvorsen was not able to find Mercedes’ garden, but he still sent her candy and with it a letter. The letter became one of Mercedes’ prized possessions, and many years later, she had the opportunity to meet and thank "The Chocolate Pilot" in person.
This book depicts the difficult times of Berliners after Germany's defeat in World War II. With kindness from foreigners, the city of Berlin managed to survive the Russian blockade of Berlin. After decades of being divided into western and eastern halves, Germany has recovered to become the powerhouse of Europe today.
This book depicts the difficult times of Berliners after Germany's defeat in World War II. With kindness from foreigners, the city of Berlin managed to survive the Russian blockade of Berlin. After decades of being divided into western and eastern halves, Germany has recovered to become the powerhouse of Europe today.
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
Twelve year old Danny Walker is a huge fan of basketball, and dreams of playing on the local travel team, the Vikings, that his father Richie Walker had once led to the state championship. Unfortunately, due to his diminutive stature, the travel team coach Mr. Ross cut him from the team. Danny's father, a former NBA player whose career was derailed by major leg injuries, decides to form his own travel team called the Warriors for Danny and his friends to compete on. Throughout the novel, Danny works tirelessly on his basketball game to prove Mr. Ross and the rest of his town just how good he can be. During the playoffs, Danny's Warriors defeats the Vikings 40-39, with Danny making the game-winning basket. The team goes on to win the entire state championship, with Danny overcoming his tiny size to become a giant of basketball.
This is a motivational story of overcoming massive odds and past failures. Although Danny Walker was devastated when he was cut from the Vikings, he responded by improving at his game. Danny manages to recover his pride, family tradition, and love for basketball over the course of the novel and ultimately becomes a champion.
This is a motivational story of overcoming massive odds and past failures. Although Danny Walker was devastated when he was cut from the Vikings, he responded by improving at his game. Danny manages to recover his pride, family tradition, and love for basketball over the course of the novel and ultimately becomes a champion.
High Heat by Carl Deuker
Sophomore Shane Hunter is the closer for his high school baseball team, the pitcher whose job is to seal the game in its crucial final innings. Shane's world is turned upside-down when his father, who owns a luxury car dealership, is arrested for money laundering. Shane loses his father to suicide, his upscale home, and his tremendous passion for the game of baseball. Suddenly poverty-stricken, he and his mother and sister move into a tiny run-down apartment. In a moment of shame and darkness, Shane intentionally hits the best player in their league, Reese Robertson, in the head, putting him in the hospital. But as the story progresses, he and Reese work out their demons together, through the game that has meant so much to them both. Shane recovers from the follies of his past to earn a college scholarship, but Reese is never the same player he once was.
This novel portrays the drama that can be found in both sports and in life. Shane Hunter and Reese Robertson are both talented baseball players that had it all, but both lost everything they had in a heartbeat. Although Shane manages to overcome his difficulties and regain his love for baseball, Reese's injury was, sadly, too traumatic for him to recover from.
This novel portrays the drama that can be found in both sports and in life. Shane Hunter and Reese Robertson are both talented baseball players that had it all, but both lost everything they had in a heartbeat. Although Shane manages to overcome his difficulties and regain his love for baseball, Reese's injury was, sadly, too traumatic for him to recover from.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
During the time of the Great Depression, six year old Jean-Louise Finch (mostly referred to as Scout), her adventurous brother, Jem, and wise father, Atticus, live in the small southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. While Atticus is a lawyer and has enough money to support his family and live comfortably (for the time period), most of the town has suffered greatly to even feed their families throughout the Depression. One day, without her knowing, Scout's young life changes without her even knowing when she, Jem, and newfound friend, Dill, decide to trespass on the property that Arthur (Boo) Radley lives on. Radley himself has not been spotted in many years, and many wonder if the house is haunted. The kids spend much of their summer attempting to lure Radley out of the house after he gives them several clever clues as to his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Atticus prepares to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, from a prosecution of Robinson raping a white woman. Throughout the trial, Atticus and his family are receiving constant death threats from nearly all of the white community that wants Robinson to be executed.
Scout shows true maturity and understanding throughout the novel, yet seems overwhelmed and overpowered by much of the community around her. She does not understand why the community has to be against the blacks, using them as a sort of scapegoat to their own problems with the Depression.
Scout shows true maturity and understanding throughout the novel, yet seems overwhelmed and overpowered by much of the community around her. She does not understand why the community has to be against the blacks, using them as a sort of scapegoat to their own problems with the Depression.
Six Million Paper Clips by Peter Schroeder
Students in a small Tennessee town are learning about the Holocaust. When their teachers tell them that the Nazis killed over six millions Jews, they couldn't fully understand because they didn't know what six million looked like. During the Holocaust, paper clips were attached to clothing to symbolize someone that was killed. The teachers of the class came up with an idea to try to collect as many paper clips are they could to better understand such a large number. At first, the teachers were expecting to receive a few thousand at the most. The students and teachers slowly began to become overwhelmed as thousands of envelopes were being delivered daily. Some people sent one or two paper clips in honor of family members they had lost, and other people sent upwards of close to 50,000. Soon, the entire town became involved when they realized they were collecting millions of paperclips. The students received paper clips from Holocaust survivors, famous actors, athletes, and even the president. Believe it or not, the class actually collected all six million paper clips. All of the paper clips are now on display, and it has been made into a small museum. This new memorial allows people to fully understand how many people were killed and how many families had to suffer loses.