THE STORY OF BEAUTIFUL GIRL BY RACHEL SIMON

It is 1968.  Lynnie, a young white girl with a developmental disability and Homan, an African-American deaf man are locked away in the SCHOOL FOR THE INCURABLE AND FEEBLEMINDED and have been left to languish in the institution, forgotten.  Deeply in love, they escape and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow.  But, the couple in not alone,  Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl.  When the authorities catch up to them the same night, Homan escapes into the darkness and Lynnie is caught.  Before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha:  "HIDE HER."


And so begins, the forty-year, epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha and baby Julia.....lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret place and extraordinary love.

YOGA from the INSIDE OUT by Christina Sell

This book is perhaps the most important and inspiring book on the philosophy of hatha yoga, which it elevates to a spiritual art of self-love and acceptance that can transform your self-image. The philosophy is that practicing yoga is so much more than just postures and breathing.  It is a deeply personal journey back home to ourselves, and it takes us from self-doubt and judgement to self-acceptance and joy.  

THE KITCHEN HOUSE BY KATHLEEN GRISSOM

Orphaned during her passage from Ireland, young, white, Lavinia, arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed, as an indentured servant, under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate slave daughter.  Lavinia learns to cook, clean, and serve food while guided by the quiet strength and love of her new family.

In time, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master's opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous, yet protective son.  She attempts to straddle the world of the kitchen and the big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart from Belle and the other slaves.

Through the unique eyes of Lavinia and Belle, Kathleen Grissom's novel unfolds in a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of class, race, dignity, deep buried secrets and familial bonds.

Breathe Into Being: Awakening to Who You Really Are by Dennis Lewis

This is a very wise and readable book about one of the most fundamental insights of the great spiritual traditions: that the breathe is a mediator between mind and body and a bridge to the transcendent.  The book helps you to cultivate awareness and live in the now.