Enough Isn't Everything by K.L. Shandwick

It also highlights the strength of familial bonds and the selfless, courageous acts that some people are willing to perform to save others. It is a timeless story that shows that no matter our background, ethnicity, religion, or race, we are more alike than different. Living in dire conditions and in constant danger of being discovered, Anne dreams of her future, is moody and temperamental, experiences young love, and dares to hold onto hope. Perhaps the quintessential story of a young girl coming-of-age during the Holocaust, the story unfolds through the letters 13-year-old Anne writes to her diary, whom she has named “Kitty.” Despite being hidden away from the world during her most formative years because she is Jewish, Anne experiences all the normal feelings and emotions of any teenage girl. I immediately fell in love with Anne when I read this classic book at a young age. This list would not be complete without Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. Near the conclusion of the book, it ends fittingly with Louie Zamperini in 1998 carrying the Olympic torch past Naoetsu, a place where he was once imprisoned, but now was cheered on from the roadsides.

Familiar with my own father’s struggles from war-torn Cambodia, it is this section that resonates closely and compassionately with me.

Laura writes about Louis’ road to finding peace with his dark past, and a newfound faith. Once the war was over, Louis returns home to discover that the wounds of his captivity still remain with him. They face many obstacles in their survival as they are repeatedly beaten and inhumanely starved. Him and several other survivors drift on a life raft for many days, until they are captured by the Japanese. Louis is on a flight mission with several others, and his plane is struck down over the Pacific waters in a firefight. It’s truly a story about the strength of the human will to endure incredible hardship and cruelty. The bestselling novel turned motion picture about Louis Zamperini by Laura Hillenbrand.

Enough Isn't Everything by K.L. Shandwick