The best books for heroes that we can relate to

First, let me disclose that I know the author, and that Macleod’s blurb endorsing my writing appears on the back of my third book and a blurb from me shows up on the back of Justice Hill. So, let’s be clear: this is not payback. Justice Hill is simply a great book. It features two everyday heroes; lifelong friends who face conflict. The way they handle their friendship—and their burdens—became, to me at least, lessons in both forgiveness and resilience. Heroes don’t have to save the world; they can save each other.

Harrison’s personal journey from party boy to non-profit CEO is impressive, as are his sales skills. The author can certainly pitch a story, as he did while he built Charity: Water, the name of the aspirational non-profit that he founded to bring clean water to poor and underserved areas. The book is a first-person narrative that reads like a novel—except that it’s not, and the heartbreaking chapter about Rachel Beckwith will remind you that everyday heroes walk among us. It might even inspire you to be a hero to someone else in Rachel’s memory.

I read this book during the depths of the Covid pandemic. Fitting, indeed, because it postulates a different kind of pandemic, no less terrifying and disruptive. What grabbed me was not the topic per se, though (as prescient as it was, when it was written). Instead, I found myself really cheering for Alexis, a hero who didn’t want the job of being a hero—and yet takes on the challenge while proving that heroes don’t need to be perfect.

Richard Bode’s pocket-sized memoir was given to me by a college friend, shortly after our graduation (as I write this, that was about three decades ago, and I still have this little book on my shelf within reach). It’s got water and sailing (both of which I love), but more importantly, it’s also chock-full of life lessons—without being preachy or overbearing. In the end, you realize that you can plot your own course, adapt to the shifts of wind and waves (Bode’s metaphor for life), and become your own hero.

This is by far the heaviest tome on my list, and I’m not referring to its physical weight. Frankl is a Holocaust survivor. The cover sub-title is, The Classic Tribute to Hope from the Holocaust, and those few words speak volumes. It’s a tough book to get through, for sure, but it is absolutely worth the effort. In the face of unspeakable challenges, Frankl’s journey, introspection, and endearing and enduring hopefulness epitomize what a real-life hero looks like.