The wonderful Julia Alvarez always has a way of helping us understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. In this video, she talks about the importance of reading and stories in our lives, particularly right now. “Stories help us survive the worst of times.” The best books, she says, don’t provide answers in difficult times. “They help us understand the questions. And they help us feel accompanied.”As it happens, Julia’s brand-new novel, Afterlife—her first for adults in almost 15 years—does share the story of “joy and resilience” in the face of challenges and sorrow. “A moving portrait of the lengths people will go to help one another.” —Time