The Stories That Carried Me Through Quarantine

Massachusetts, like many other states, is just beginning to dip its toes into reopening. Life doesn’t feel normal but more like “the new normal” everyone keeps talking about.

As I begin to ease back into life outside the walls of our home, I want to stop first and reflect on the wonderful stories that helped carry me through this strange season.

None of us knew what we were getting into when life shut down in March. But days added up to weeks and weeks added up to months — months — spent separated from people and normal activity. Looking back on it, all I can think now is, “What would I have done without words?”

Words and stories carried me through these months alone. And most of all, audible stories read aloud. While I love curling up in the corner with a good book, that’s hard to often do. But I can find countless pockets in my day to listen to a story being read — while I fold laundry, get ready for the day, or wash dishes. And though I might only be able to listen for a few minutes at a time here and there, it adds up.

These are the words and stories I read (or listened to) over the last three months — maybe you will find a story waiting for you too.

Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst

“How dangerous it is when our souls are gasping for God but we’re too distracted flirting with the world to notice”

Lysa Terkeurst

This is the first book I’ve read by TerKeurst and I really enjoyed it. She does a wonderful job digging into rejection, loneliness, turmoil in relationships, and finding your identity in Christ. I learned a lot about mistakes in friendship in particular.

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

“I can face things that are out of my control and not act out of control.”

Lysa Terkeurst

I enjoyed Uninvited so much I decided to dig right into another TerKeurst book. And while it was still good, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the first one. I had to make myself finish it.

Different by Sally and Nathan Clarkson

“We have to learn to lean into life as something beautiful even if it is not exactly what we expected. Trusting that God works all things together for the good despite the challenges we face is a gift of worship we give to God. Acceptance with humility must eventually come to each of us if we are to please God and not always fight against the limitations of our own family pattern.”

Sally Clarkson

This book was a game changer for me. I couldn’t put it down and looked forward to every minute I could dig a little deeper into this heartfelt story. This is the first book I’ve ever read of its kind — addressing mental illness from a Christian perspective. I love that Sally and Nathan tell their story together and that they are both so incredibly honest and vulnerable. I’ve read books by Sally before but have a totally different respect for her after reading this one. I have a whole blog post planned for this book at some point. Highly recommend.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

“Faces change with life’s toll, but eyes remain a window to what was.”

Delia Owens

This book is absolutely masterful. The detail and intricacy with which Owens writes reminds me of Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See. This story will be rolling around in my mind for a long time. There are some rather explicit parts, if that bothers you. But I highly recommend it and hope Owens writes more novels in the future.

What are you reading? Were there any stories that helped you pass the time these past few months?

If you’re looking for something to read, don’t forget to join our summer book club starting June 1st. We’ll be digging into Introverted Mom together and would love to have you read along with us!