Warning

Reading this book may make you angry. We chose the novel, Reaching Home, and the other 17 stories that are a part of the Maine Resilience Program because they stir peoples’ emotions. Anger, joy, fear, compassion, sadness. Recognizing and managing these strong feelings is one of the key skills in resilience. Reaching Home is the longest tale and involves a number of characters who tell their individual stories. Some of the characters you may like and identify with, and some you may feel represent attitudes and ways of looking at the world that are a direct contradiction to yourselves and your point of view. For example, Lee and his grandson* who tell the Reaching Home story have a political point of view which some may agree with and with which some may strongly disagree. Resilience involves being able to recognize and manage the strong feelings that you have so that you can think clearly and communicate your point of view in a direct, assertive and respectful manner, especially to those with whom you may strongly disagree.


*The book’s author, who interned with the Veterans Administration during the Vietnam war, and all those involved with the Maine Resilience Project love and support our great country and the men and women who have fought and given their lives for our freedom.