“Bibliotherapy”—using books and written word as a form of therapy—was first coined in the early 1900s, but even if you’ve never thrown that word around before, you likely know its power. Books help us navigate anxiety, depression, loneliness, and not simply by giving us a means of escape, but by widening our view. I feel all alone in my choices, but what if I’m not? Books help us to be bold, be curious, be ourselves.

As someone who was as recently as last month looking for a therapist, it was reassuring to be reminded of the power of books to comfort, heal, and promote change. Sometimes I think us readers take this gift for granted, or at least I do.

I wish for her, a sharp thought that leaves an ache behind, like the smoke from a blown-out candle after a birthday wish.