The Book That Grabbed Me By the Neck

I wasn’t ready for Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler when I first picked it up. It sat on my nightstand for months, collecting little layers of dust, untouched. Life was noisy, stressful, and overwhelming. I was constantly battling thoughts of inadequacy and frustration, feeling like I was just trying to survive a rigged game. But when I finally opened its pages, the book refused to let me go.  

I wasn’t just reading a story, I was confronting a decade long, solo healing journey and my need for a community that truly aligns with purpose.  

A few months ago, I was at a retreat surrounded by artists working in environmental justice. It was one of those rare spaces where everyone was creating something meaningful despite the world being on fire. The hosts had a table stacked with books by Black authors, and Butler’s Parable of the Talents was still there at the end of the retreat, so I picked it up.   

This wasn’t just any weekend. I was also quietly celebrating an important milestone: ten years since a mental health crisis nearly cost me my life. Back then, I didn’t have the tools to navigate the loss of a college friend, the unspoken demands of adulthood, the impending loom of divorce, and the rapid change during yoga teacher training. 

Yoga became my lifeline and taught me how to chill the f*ck out, connect with the unseen parts of myself, and be really present. So when I picked up Parable of the Talents, I didn’t know it would speak so deeply to this decade of growth.