4 Books to Read for Those Who Have Almost Lost Hope
Stories of people who survived concentration camps, coped with severe illnesses, and did not give up.
Sometimes, everything seems lost in our lives, and we no longer have the strength to continue fighting. At such moments, it is essential to find support and inspiration.
I have collected stories of real people who faced severe challenges and overcame them. Each book teaches resilience and helps you find meaning.
1. “Notes from the Gallows”, Julius Fucik
This book is by Czechoslovakian journalist, anti-fascist, and communist Julius Fucik while he was behind bars.
In 1942, Fučík, as a member of the underground Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party, was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Prague’s Pankrac prison.
There, he met warden Adolf Kolinsky, who was a Czechoslovak anti-fascist resistance fighter and suggested that Julius write “something for the future.”
Fucik’s work fit on 167 sheets of tissue paper, secretly taken out of prison and kept in a buried jam jar for a long time. In 1945, the book ended up in the hands of the journalist’s wife, Gusta, but the complete edition was published only in 1995.
“Notes from the Gallows” is an authentic historical document written in the harshest conditions of a Nazi prison. Julius Fucik died on September 8, 1943. His last work became a symbol of the fight against fascism.
2. “Yes to Life: Despite Everything”, Viktor Frankl
Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote the book after being imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau.
The doctor left notes in shorthand on scraps of paper, secret from other prisoners. He completed the work a few months after his release in 1945, and it was first published a year later.
Frankl faced severe psychological and physical abuse, lost his family, and witnessed horrific events. But he was able to find the answer to the meaning of life and discover the source of strength to overcome difficulties.
The advice the psychiatrist gives is so universal that it suits anyone in a difficult situation.
The author teaches perseverance and love of life and helps people find hope and not lose it even in the darkest times.
3. “The Bombard Story”, Alain Bombard
In 1952, French doctor Alain Bombard developed a revolutionary sea survival method.
At 28, he decided to demonstrate it by crossing the Atlantic on an inflatable boat in conditions as close as possible to where people find themselves after a shipwreck.
Bombar proved that people deprived of all resources except natural ones can cope with the most vital challenges.
In his story, supplemented by excerpts from the logbook, the author describes his unusual, often tragic life on the ocean, including encounters with wild animals, storms, loneliness, and despair.
His inspiring experience uniquely shows how one can maintain humanity and survive in extreme conditions.
4. “The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery”, Barbara Lipska, Elaine McArdle
This memoir-style book tells the story of Barbara Lipsky’s battle with metastatic melanoma of the brain and how her struggle for life affected her behavior and thinking.
A neurologist by profession, Lipsky describes her experiences and emotions during her illness and also sincerely talks about how she was able to return to work after successful treatment.
The book gives hope and inspiration to those facing difficult trials and contains unique knowledge about the brain’s functioning.
It helps to understand how people can withstand the crushing blows of fate and continue to live fully.
The work was written jointly with journalist Elaine McArdle, so the scientific aspects of the disease and its impact on humans are in simple language.