One of the great joys of summer is reading a good book. I recommend “The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder” by Erin Blakemore. Two of the chapters “Happiness” and “Indulgence” explore classic novels, which include female characters finding joy in the midst of the most challenging of circumstances.  In the novels, girls bounce around from one orphanage to the next and women are handcuffed by early 20^th century sexism. Yet they find ways not only to experience joy, but also transform the worldview of others as well. Do these stories remind you of your own?