Reads with Reach

I love giving and receiving books as gifts. On my wish list this year is Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. It tells the story of Syrian-American businessman Abdulrahman Zeitoun, from his heroism in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina to his mysterious disappearance about a week after the storm. Much of the proceeds from the book will go to the newly formed Zeitoun Foundation, which will make grants to nonprofits working to rebuild New Orleans and promoting religious tolerance and understanding.

I’ll need to have plenty of tissues on hand before I read Notes Left Behind. Written by Keith and Brooke Desserich, it details their six-year-old daughter Elena’s fight against brain cancer and shares the notes she lovingly left behind for them all over their home. One hundred percent of U.S. book sale author profits will go to The Cure Starts Now, a foundation that aims to find a cure for all cancers, especially the one that took Elena’s life.

Like the Desseriches, Sorrel King writes about the loss of her 18-month-old daughter in Josie’s Story. Josie’s death was caused by medical errors, and now her mother is working to prevent others from experiencing the same tragic outcome. A portion of the book’s proceeds goes to the Josie King Foundation, which is focused on increasing patient safety and decreasing the number of fatal medical errors that occur each year.