Balance isn’t just about juggling responsibilities—it’s about finding harmony between who we are and who the world expects us to be. In both Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez and Prescribee by Chia-Lun Chang, the authors tried to make the world see how they strive to navigate the complexities of ambition, societal expectations, identity, and personal fulfillment via their words. These two books remind us that being Balanced means making space for both passion and well-being.

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez 

Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez isn’t just an inspiring story—it’s also one of the 2025 Toucan Award shortlisted fiction books, on top of other awards! Camila “Furia” Hassan exemplifies the Balanced trait as she navigates the delicate “double life” between family expectations, cultural traditions, and her passion for soccer. At home in Argentina, she is the obedient daughter, while on the field, she is a fierce and determined athlete chasing her dream of playing professionally.

Camila’s story is a true testament to the struggle for a well-balanced life—between personal ambition and familial duty, tradition and progress, love and independence. Furia reminds us that being Balanced isn’t about having a perfect plan but about making choices that honor both our dreams and well-being, even when the world demands we choose just one. 

Furia 

Written by Yamile Saied Méndez

2022, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 978-1643751894

Prescribee by Chia-Lun Chang

Reading a diverse range of books, including poetry, is essential for personal growth, empathy, and cognitive development. Books broaden perspectives by offering insights into different cultures, historical events, and human experiences, fostering understanding and appreciation for diverse viewpoints (Reading Across Genres; Mixing It Up). Poetry, in particular, deepens this connection by allowing readers to explore complex emotions, providing therapeutic solace, and promoting compassion through diverse perspectives (Girolimon 2024; Osborn; Urrego 2022). As a Teacher Librarian, I always emphasize the importance of a “balanced reading diet” to my students. That’s why today’s second book is all about shining a spotlight on a poetry book!

Chia-Lun Chang is a Taiwanese poet, author, and the winner of 2021 Nightboat Poetry Prize. In her poetry collection Prescribee, we also see a great example of balance in weaving complicated themes, language, and forms into a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and resilience. She artfully balances personal narratives with broader cultural and societal reflections, creating a deeply resonant exploration of identity and belonging. Through her sharp observations and innovative use of poetic approach, Chang invites young adult and adult readers to navigate the complexities of not only cultural dislocation, linguistic multiplicity, and emotional duality, but also “hypervisibility and invisibility” that immigrants often face.

“….why don’t you date americans. how much rent do you pay. do you live in chinatown. which one. Why are you so serious. are you confused about your nationality. can you read. how long have you been learning english. how many languages do you speak. why are people so smart over there. why are you small. why don’t you go back. you want to stay. don’t you have a choice. don’t eat intestines…” (The Milky Way, P. 48)

Through the lens of her immigrant journey, Chang achieves a balance between personal and collective identity, highlighting the intricate interplay between belonging and isolation. Her reflections on memory and trauma bridge past and present, illustrating how formative experiences shape one’s evolving sense of self. Chang’s use of language, enriched by cultural context, adds depth to her exploration, striking a balance between her personal voice and cultural commentary. For example, in the poem “The Milky Way,” Chang boldly addresses bias, counterbalancing the anger of the phrase that stresses the subtle nature of identity in this multicultural and tightly-connected world.

Her linguistic creativity further enhances this exploration. Balanced with a good mixture of humor and seriousness, the deliberate wordplay highlights the fluidity of language, where words carry layered meanings. By embracing these complexities, Chang captures the simultaneous connection and disconnection that language can evoke, reflecting the immigrant experience in a profoundly relatable way.

Chang’s poetry thrives on dual interpretations. Her lines often shift between clarity and ambiguity, allowing readers to explore multiple perspectives. This duality mirrors the immigrant’s lived reality—balancing between cultures, languages, belonging, and identities. Her poetry becomes a bridge, encouraging mature readers to go through the gaps between intention and understanding.

“….Is a foreign menu readable or eatable

Sentences I say with my accent can always make people laugh

I am tired of those sounds

Sentences I say with my broke grammar can always make people frown

I’ve learned to make fun of these bugs….” (Iridescent, P. 63)

Prescribee

Written by Chia-Lun Chang 

2022, Nightboat Books

ISBN: 9781643621517

Both Furia and Prescribee challenge us to think about what it means to truly live a Balanced life. Camila fights to balance her personal dreams with family and societal expectations, while Chang’s poetry invites us to explore the expressions of language, identity, and self-expression. These books don’t offer easy answers, but they do inspire us to seek our own inner harmony—one step, one poem, one decision at a time.

Prescribee by Chia-Lun Chang

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Girolimon, Mars. Why Is Poetry Important? Celebrating National Poetry Month. 9 Apr. 2024, https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/why-is-poetry-important.

‘Mixing It up: The Importance of Reading Different Genres’. The Fuzzy Librarian, 29 Apr. 2019, https://www.thefussylibrarian.com/newswire/for-readers/2019/04/29/mixing-it-up-the-importance-of-reading-different-genres.

Osborn, Alice. Why Is Poetry Important to Our World Today? https://aliceosborn.com/why-is-poetry-important-to-our-world-today/. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Pace, Zachary. ‘How Chia-Lun Chang Found Power in Poetry’. The Millions, 23 Mar. 2023, https://themillions.com/2023/03/how-chia-lun-chang-found-power-in-poetry.html.

‘Reading Across Genres: Broadening Horizons and Expanding Tastes’. Pickatale, https://pickatale.com/blog/reading-across-genres-broadening-horizons-and-expanding-tastes. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

Urrego, Valentina Bonilla. Why We Should All Read Poetry – TEDxVienna Magazine. 22 Mar. 2022, https://magazine.tedxvienna.at/2022/03/22/why-we-should-all-read-poetry/.

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Eleanor Duggan is a passionate children’s book reader, a storytelling enchantress, an aspiring globetrotter, a part-time book crafter, and an impassioned foodie who is a cooking disaster. She is more known as an international school teacher-librarian, Founding Chair of the Toucan Award, and the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. She is a Taiwanese with a Belgian soul and is currently enjoying her life as a citizen of the world with her daughter and their 2 one-of-a-kind cats. You may find her via The Third Culture Librarian

GLLI Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in posts on this site are the individual author’s and are not indicative of the views of Global Literature in Libraries Initiative.