Matt Haig, the best-selling author of the novel “The Midnight”, recommends some books that offer wisdom or comfort in difficult times.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Rilke (1929). This is the ultimate comfort read. The book is what the title suggests: letters from an older poet to a younger one. The great thing about Rilke’s advice is that it acknowledges the darkness and suffering of existence, yet manages despite that—or maybe even because of that—to inspire.

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön(1996). I read this book during the first lockdown, and it was the perfect read for uncertain times. Chödrön is a Buddhist, but the advice and philosophy in these relatively few pages speaks universally. It’s a great book about embracing life in its totality, about seeing hope and suffering as part of a whole.

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne(1928). The Winnie-the-Pooh stories really speak to people going through tough times. In many ways, each of the characters reflects a different mental state: Eeyore is depressed, Tigger is hyper-active, Piglet is anxious, and Pooh reflects a hope and optimism much needed in recovery. I reread this book when I was ill with a panic disorder, and it soothed me.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott (1994). In my opinion, this is the greatest book about writing ever written. But like Rilke, Lamott is offering far more than writing advice. She is offering wisdom on life and how to embrace its imperfect nature.

One day in elementary school, a friend asked me “What are you eating?” as she glanced at my lunchbox. “It smells,” she said, nose crinkled.

I was eating bhindi roti, my favorite Indian snack, which my mom had packed for me. But feeling embarrassed for having a “smelly” lunch and wanting to fit in, I quietly shut my lunchbox. That day, I went hungry.

Most days after that, lunchtime at school felt like a battle. If I wasn’t trying to hide my lunch or sneak quick bites when no one was looking, I’d insist on bringing in the same peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich as the other kids. My mom, who didn’t grow up eating American food, tried her best, but the sandwiches never looked, or tasted, as good as the food I devoured(津津有味地吃) at home.

I didn’t know that I wasn’t alone. Many kids with immigrant parents encounter(遭遇) what’s known as “the lunchbox moment” at school: the experience of being judged for bringing in food considered culturally different and so being made to feel like an outsider.

For this article, I talked with kids who could relate. But they also surprised me:They dealt with “the lunchbox moment” differently than I did. For example, Satya Singh, 6, who takes her mom’s Indian cooking to lunch most days, told me that one day a classmate said that her aloo, or potatoes, looked like poop. Another time, someone said that the dal, or lentils, looked like “throw up”. The next day, Satya brought enough dal to share with her entire class — and they loved it. From then on, she says, “My teacher at school made a rule: Don’t yuck someone’s yum.”

Looking back, I wish I’d had the wisdom of Satya and offered my friend a bite of my lunch, or just told her it was delicious — especially because now, as an adult, I see that Indian food is universally loved by my friends. Some even try to cook Indian lentils or chickpeas at home! And when I’m hungry, guess what? I miss my mom’s bhindi roti and her care in making it for me. Food is an expression of culture, tradition, family and love. And that’s something to celebrate, not hide.