By Abbe Wright
Feeling abandoned? Zestless? In their new book, The Novel Cure, bibliotherapists (yes, really) Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin prescribe skipping the pharmacy and heading to the library instead.
Ailment: Claustrophobia
The book: Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
How it can help: Revisit this classic to be transported to the wide-open plains of Kansas, where the sky goes on forever and the prairie is as vast as the sea.
Ailment: Loss of Faith
The book: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel by Rachel Joyce
How it can help: When a man sets off on foot to visit a friend dying of cancer, his 600-mile quest sparks a renewed sense of belief -- in himself and in those he meets along the way. Your faith should be restored by page 50.
Ailment: Low Self-Esteem
The book: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx
How it can help: If a protagonist as downtrodden and hapless as Quoyle can get over the shocking death of his parents and his cheating wife, you can face -- and conquer -- anything.
Ailment: Stress
The book: The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
How it can help: A shepherd embarks on the solitary task of planting 100 acorns a day in hopes of bringing back trees to a blighted countryside. His mission will leave you feeling at peace with the universe.
Ailment: Unemployment
The book: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami
How it can help: Instead of feeling depressed, follow the lead of hero Toru Okada, who, while jobless, embarks on a fantastical, liberating journey that changes the way he thinks.
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