In every notable room in my parents’ house, simple wooden shelves whisper volumes to anyone who stops to observe. They tell the purpose and function of not only the room, but also the people who use that room most. This ordinary furniture tells the secrets of thoughts, goals, dreams, and desires.

In my parents’ and grandparents’ era, they relied on the reputation of the publisher, the well-known author’s name, when making book choices. But today? The power of personal recommendation is in the hands of the readers.

I realized last week that we have hounds in our house. The same kind — those with an uncanny sense of smell. Not for snakes, though. We have “book hounds”!

“I intend to give my life…” Anna Ashwell is a young English girl who was born into the heart of England’s struggle for the abolition of slavery. Though she comes from a family who has been part of the Abolition movement for generations, the choice to embrace it, to make the cause of the slaves…