In February I listened to the audiobook of Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuisten. It had my thoughts all stirred up – the sign of a good book – and so I wanted to journal about it. As the events of the past week have unfolded, the thoughts felt relevant enough to share. So here they are, on my blog… out in the world where I hope they will find a home in your head and in your heart.

I am a straight, white, thirty-something wife and mother of two, living a middle-class life in the heart of the Midwest.

Alex, the main character in Red, White and Royal Blue, is a bisexual Hispanic, twenty-something from Texas, hell bent on a career in politics, living as the First Son, in the White House.

I know that I am a real human being and that Alex is a fictional character, but if we suspend reality for a second and pretend he was a living, breathing person, it is highly unlikely that our paths would ever cross. Heck, I’ve never even been to Texas or Washington, D.C. (Although now that a word museum is set to open in our nation’s capitol, that destination has jumped up a few spots on my travel list!)

Anyway, the point is, the relevance of fiction is that through this story, I could live in Alex’s head. For the twelve hours and fifteen-minute duration of the audiobook I was able to experience Alex’s hopes, dreams, fears, and musings. Through fiction I was able to empathize what it feels like to be a minority, to wonder at the role sexuality plays in acceptance and self-worth. I was able to relate to a person whose life is vastly different from my own and I got to root for him in a low stakes, individualized experience without the pressure and noise of anyone else’s opinions bearing down on my own.

In today’s society, everyone is expected to have a solid opinion on EVERYTHING, as if we are each candidates on a political debate stage. Health Care. Gun Control. Abortion. Climate Change. Immigration. Not only are we demanded to know our very specific stance on every issue under the sun, we are expected to share our opinion, with evidential proof. ALL. THE. TIME.

I know it is important to have difficult conversations. It is how we learn and grow. Maybe it’s because I am a people pleaser and I am constantly attempting to weigh the thoughts and opinions of others against my own moral code, but I find this new societal norm EXHAUSTING. Suddenly a simple scroll through social media becomes a heavy lifting mental effort. A sparing match of wit and wisdom and our ability to quote and cite and WIN. Instead of wanting to engage and contribute, many feel themselves desire to pull away… which is a poor option.

But reading? That, I can do.

People occasionally wonder at the purpose and value of reading fiction at “a time like this”. Certainly, there could be better ways to spend our time when there are so many problems to solve. Right?

I would argue that fiction creates empathy. Fiction allows us to live other lives. No matter who we are or where we live, we can step into the lives and shoes and brains of people and situations that were previously foreign. Fiction is an inexpensive cultural exchange program whose benefits are innumerable.

Last year I wrote about diverse books and the wide varieties of lifestyles I was able to vicariously experience.

· A non-verbal, wheelchair bound 5th grader in Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

· A track star whose father is in prison in Ghost by Jason Reynolds

· A foster care teen in One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

I know that reading about these people is not the same as knowing people who live these lives, but I do think it plants seeds of awareness and compassion. And to me, those benefits make fiction relevant in our divisive and polarized world.

Here are a few other authors who agree.

You can learn more about author Jarrett Lerner and his work here.

If there is a particular hole in your social experience bubble, I’d ask that you seek to fill it with a piece of fiction that can both entertain and educate. If you aren’t sure what to read, ask a bookseller or librarian or friend or ME! If you find a book that opens your eyes and mind, share it, especially with people in your life who could also use a new view. If you have a title you’d like to recommend, drop it in the comments below.

In this world where problems seem big and scary and too hard to solve, storytellers are doing their part to bring us together. Take some time to retreat into the safety of fiction and emerge better equipped to face another day with empathy, compassion, knowledge and heart.

P.S. Thank you to Aaron, my sensitivity reader for this piece, for sharing his insight and suggestions.

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