Coming to Terms with the Past

"Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." 

-Winston Churchill

Everything we are today is a product of who and what came before us. But sometimes, understanding exactly how that history affects our everyday lives can be difficult to pin down. It's easy to turn our backs on the past, focus on the now, keep moving forward. That was then; this is now, we tell ourselves. It's over. Why can't we just move on? There's a lot of appeal in thinking that what happened before us has nothing to do with us, but we ignore history at our own peril. We cannot help what came before, but we can do something about how we respond to it now. 

In these books, authors will reflect on the past and how it continues to echo through our lives today, with hope that the future might be different. These books reflect a variety of events from history and a variety of perspectives on those events. You'll find a mix of historical fiction, biography, memoir, and journalism.

(Click on any book cover to learn more about that book.)

If you you're interested in another book that fits this theme that isn't listed here, contact Ms. Barnes for approval and it can be added to the list.

*Note: At the bottom of this page, there are a few podcast options that can replace reading a book. 

Listen to this whole season (8 episodes) in place of reading a book.

Listen to this whole season (5 episodes) in place of reading a book.

Listen to this whole playlist (12 episodes, 7 hours total) in place of reading a book.

Pick 10 episodes (about 6 hours total) in place of reading a book. Keep record of which episodes you listen to.