Books were my salvation when, as I was growing up, my mother and I endured poverty, betrayal, and humiliation because of my violent, alcoholic father. From library books, I learned that not every home was like ours, that there were many ways to live. Books inspired my imagination; and imagination is the mother of hope. At thirteen, working part-time, I bought paperbacks, which were my treasure–the only one I needed. Authors, booksellers, and librarians were my heroes, providers of truth, magic, hope. And so they remain.
— Dean Koontz
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“Providers of truth, magic, hope” — truly a high calling! And I too became a reader to escape hard stuff at home, later realizing that writing was a way to engage those hardships and transform them.
Personally, I love the escape from reality. Plus I learn a lot from books – both fiction and non-fiction.