By Heidi Hess
It was Galentine’s Day, and instead of flowers for my closest lady friends, I bought them small succulents and decorated them with small hearts and googly eyes on the leaves. Of all the plants I could have picked, I chose these two. Why? The author and artist SARK wrote a book I enjoyed reading at the tender age of twenty. My copy of Wild Succulent Women sits on my bookshelf next to my other prized, favorite books. To say it was formative and inspiring is an understatement. I distinctly remember reading each section about the women in SARK’s life, how they met, and how they knew they would always be friends. She relished in seeing these women – her succulent wild women. They lifted one another, validated and helped each other become better versions of themselves. When I was finished reading that book, I hugged it to my chest and looked forward to one day having my own band of Succulent Wild Women. And now I do.
March is Women’s History Month and also National Reading Month. See where I’m going with this? Take a moment and think about the books you’ve read that inspired you or helped you during a rough time. Books have been so many things to me: entertainment, comfort, help, and encouragement. Are we sharing those books with the next generation? We should at least try. I’m not sure my daughter would enjoy the playfulness of Succulent Wild Women, but I’m pretty sure Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” (another formative piece of literature) would strike a chord in her, especially right now. A Woman’s Worth by Marianne Williamson would be an excellent choice as well.
And it’s not just women’s studies that get all of my attention, although I do enjoy empowering books. What kind of a writer would I be if I hadn’t read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, any Judy Bloom book, or Swampland by Katherine Russell? These women and their books shifted my history and made me want to write. Can an author ask for more? Is there a greater compliment? Nope.
This March, I challenge you to think about your top ten formative books. What books shaped you personally and professionally? Share those with your kids. Bonus points if they are women authors… because… well… we’re phenomenal. At least, that’s what Maya Angelou told us, and she’s right.
