Joanne’s Over-due Book List

Check out Joanne’s most recommended books! She knows that reading and the power of storytelling can change the world, so she wants to share with you some books that have dramatically impacted her life. Have a look at her favorite four below or check out her Amazon list for more great books from Joanne. Enjoy!

LIFE-CHANGING BOOK ABOUT DISCOVERING YOUR PURPOSE

This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and soul-stirring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried near the Pyramids. What starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasure found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is an eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

biblical tale + reminder - we are stronger together

An old man walks into the town of Chelm asking for food. The townspeople claim they have nothing to share, but the man explains that he can make enough food for everyone with just a stone. The townspeople are intrigued and watch the man as he creates a pot of delicious matzoh ball soup. As he begins to cook, he asks for one ingredient and then another, which the townspeople provide. In the end, they have unknowingly contributed to making a Seder feast for all to share! An inspiring story about collaboration and teamwork.

a reminder that we are never far from our ancestral roots

Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned and sold into slavery. Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.

If you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down.

In this moving and compelling New York Times bestseller, Melinda shares lessons she's learned from the inspiring people she's met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, 'That is why I had to write this book - to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live.' Melinda shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world - and ourselves.