Stories have long shaped Germaine Leece's life. In 2012, moving from a career in publishing and writing, Germaine began her second career as a psychotherapist. Sitting with people as they told their stories felt as natural as delving into the pages of a book, and bibliotherapy soon emerged as the natural marriage of both careers. She now works at a women's counselling centre and privately, under the name New Chapters Bibliotherapy. Sonya Tsakalakis has her zealous primary school librarian to thank for a lifelong devotion to literature. Fusing her passions for books and wellbeing, Sonya launched her social enterprise, The Literary Hand, in 2013, after a career in allied health. Since then, she has continued to work with community agencies and individuals to foster self-knowledge and connection through stories and poems, as well as offering private bibliotherapy.
This is a warm-hearted and beautiful celebration of reading and all it achieves in our lives. It is seasoned with wisdom and wonder. It reminds us of the ways in which friendship can grow in the sunshine of a shared passion. This book is both a comfort and an inspiration to explore a richer life. -- Michael McGirr, author of Books that Saved My Life