These relatable novels serve as a journey through the trials and triumphs of adulthood, mirroring adults’ real life experiences and emotions.
When we become adults, the demands of our careers, relationships, and self discovery pile up, which which make solace and peace challenging for some. Everyone has something going on in their lives–some are living with grief, having trouble finding the balance between work and life, and so on. Sometimes, we need inspiration through relatable novels.
Have a break from work, life, and self-help books. At times, we need a pause from rationality and the real world, and the answers we seek might be within the pages of others’ stories.
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“The Burnout” by Sophie Kinsella
This book is about a girl named Sasha who grew overwhelmed with her corporate job’s demands and felt disconnected from her life. She sought a retreat into a seaside resort but since it’s off-season, the hotel is in complete disarray and had to share with one other occupant named Finn, who is also struggling with his own life.
They had different approaches on how to cope with life but they felt compelled to confront the feeling of burnout together. Finn and Sasha rediscovered their forgotten passions together.
Author Sophie Kinsella said on her website that she hopes the book makes its readers laugh, cry, and find optimism despite hardships.
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Díaz
Junot Díaz’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” is a dystopian novel about a man named Oscar, who, like any other person, has dreams. He wants to become the Dominican version of author J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of “The Lord Of The Rings” and “The Hobbit.” But most of all, he wanted to find love.
He may never get what he wants due to the fukú, a curse haunting his family for generations. The book explores the human capacity to endure and risk everything for love.
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is set to inspire readers to find meaning in an almost meaningless, hopeless world.
“One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle
Rebecca Serle’s novel, “One Italian Summer,” is a relatable novel for those who are dealing with grief. Main protagonist Katy is grappling with her mother Carol’s death, who wasn’t just a parent to her, but also her closest confidante. She began to pursue traveling to Positano alone, a destination that the mother-daughter duo was supposed to travel to.
Katy’s trip surprised her with a plot twist, which led her to discover her mom’s appearance as a youth and spent a transformative summer together. The book will discuss loss, the enduring bond between mothers and daughters, and that love transcends death.
“Ghosts” by Dolly Alderton
In “Ghosts” by Dolly Alderton, 32-year old Nina Dean has a healthy social calendar and is about to publish a second book. She installed a dating app one day, and met a man named Max, hitting it off instantly. She was in a state of total bliss, that is, until Max ghosts her.
Nina dealt with a lot of tribulation after the ordeal with Max. Her dad’s dementia got worse and her mom is in denial of it, her editor hates her new book, and her childhood best friend iced her out.
Alderton’s book talks through modern relationships and the horror of being ghosted. The book will get its readers to realize that the only way out of a difficult situation is going through it.
“30 Things I Love About Myself” by Radhika Sanghani
“30 Things I Love About Myself” peaks into Nina Mistry’s life, who just celebrated her birthday. She spent it in jail with no internet, food, wine, and someone to celebrate with. Her solitude in the most unlikely of places led her to reflect on her currently screwed up life.
She broke up with the man who is her betrothed and is forced to move back in her childhood home. Her career isn’t going the way she expected it to and all of her friends don’t have time for her. A book lands in her jail cell, titled “How To Fix Your Shitty Life By Loving Yourself,” and thought, it must be destiny. Suddenly she has a mission: she will find thirty things she loves about herself by her next solar return.
The book is one of many relatable novels tackling the challenges behind pursuing self love. However, it is something that we should consistently observe in our lives.
“Evvie Drake Starts Over” by Linda Holmes
“Evvie Drake Starts Over” follows the lives of Evvie Drake and Dean Tenney, who are both struggling in their lives. The former is a recent widow who isolates herself in her large house. The latter moves into an apartment behind Evvie’s house to escape media scrutiny after he, a major league pitcher, lost his game.
They met and struck a deal that they will avoid discussing their respective pasts. However, their friendship continuously grew until it evolved into something more, prompting them to confront their pasts. Both of them realize that in order to get a fresh start, they need to sort out their personal obstacles.
The book will inspire readers to keep going despite a rock bottom moment. Everyone can and will find happiness, begin again, and eventually let go of the past.
“Someone Else’s Shoes” by Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes’ “Someone Else’s Shoes” chronicles Nisha Cantor’s story, where she lives the globetrotting life with her wealth. One day, her husband tells her he wanted a divorce and suddenly cuts her off.
She wants to maintain her glamorous lifestyle, but is now scrambling to survive her bleakest point. However, in a twist of fate, Nisha and another woman, Sam Kemp, accidentally took each other’s bags. When Sam saw Nisha’s Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes in the bag she took, she suddenly had a jolt of confidence. This gave her an idea: she must pursue change within herself.
The relatable novel navigates midlife situations in marriages, divorces, careers, and friendships. We’ve all had our fair share of mix ups and mess ups. We should strive to better our lives once a second chance presents itself.
Why reading relatable fiction helps
Reading poses psychological benefits. A research abstract actually found that bibliotherapy is highly effective for depression cases and reduces stress.
We all live in a world where social media and other video sharing platforms engulf our time and attention. However, reading relatable novels actually helps keep our brains active and promotes mental and emotional fitness. Fiction actually aids one’s capacity for empathy through viewing life through a relatable character’s lenses.
Banner photo from David Lezcano via Unsplash.
