The Power of a Book by Grace

The Power of a Book by Grace - June 2014 Scholarship Essay

I grew up around a mother who devoured books. She could easily read one a day, and I always thought it was an appetite for knowledge that inspired her to do so. But, looking back at her often unromantic life as a single parent raising five children, I imagine it’s more likely that she yearned for adventure. Reading was a form of escapism that could raise her above the reality of our everyday life and struggles. Books became a powerful tool for my mother, an equally powerful woman.

Throughout my childhood, my imagination was probably too big for my own good. My thoughts wandered from whatever task I was doing at the time and instead I’d invent characters living out fantastical lives. I could picture exactly what they looked like, where they lived and I wrote the dialogues and conversations between them. There were whole elaborate stories living in my mind that I couldn’t wait to put down on paper.

In my teen years, my self-expression took many forms, including poetry. Oddly enough, the tales became less of a fantasy and more about me. I used creative journaling as a means to process the difficulties I was facing in high school. Bullying caused me to feign sickness in order to avoid the anxiety of going to school. I developed an eating disorder in response to the harsh words of classmates. My stories took on a certain sadness, reflecting the pain I was experiencing.

Despite my circumstances, I was able to maintain a straight-A average as a National Honor Society member. Now that I have overcome these obstacles, I’m prepared to write a new chapter. Which is why I know exactly what a book penned by me would be about. It could be a coming-of-age story, and no author can say there isn’t some auto-biographical element to their writing. More importantly, the cast of characters would feature an array of empowered young women. They can be complex, flawed, multi-dimensional people finding their way together. Their story is very real; battling through the injustices of inequality, standing up for each other in the face of adversity, and getting back up after falling down. The ultimate message would be self-acceptance and believing in yourself. I want to write the book that I wish I could have read when I was fourteen.

One of the most challenging aspects of being a young girl is societal pressures to look a certain way. All around us, media and advertising portray unattainable standards of beauty. My goal is to help women of all shapes, sizes and ages learn to love themselves. By using the voices of relatable characters in my book, I can reach out to the reader and offer advice to the shy girl can’t ask her parents. I can lend a literary shoulder to the girls who feel very much alone in their home situation. I can remind them their self worth is more valuable than they could ever imagine and to take care of themselves accordingly. I feel fierce loyalty to my sisters, to the young women all around me facing challenges, and I want to protect them.

Now as I enter adulthood, I’m observing my 4-year-old nieces growing up in a world that can often be unfair in terms of gender and otherwise. Despite this, I want them to know their own strength. I want them to understand that it is not about what you look like; it is important what you do. I hope they will be tenacious in their life ambitions, and not be defined by their level of beauty as dictated by society. If I can impact the world they inherit, I will do whatever possible to make that happen. And if that means writing a book, so be it.