The ATS Book Club
The ATS Book Club is a space for reflection, dialogue, and shared learning rooted in the values that guide our work: trauma-informed care, cultural awareness, relational healing, and social justice. Each month, we explore books that challenge dominant narratives, deepen our understanding of ourselves and the systems around us, and support personal and professional growth.
October’s theme, Reflection, Depth & Awareness, invites us to turn inward with curiosity and compassion. As autumn unfolds, we are making room for the emotions, memories, and questions that deserve our attention—including those we may find difficult to name or share.
Throughout the month, we will explore grief, trauma, and healing, considering how our inner lives are shaped by relationships, culture, history, and systemic inequities. Our readings invite us to reflect on what we carry, how we have learned to protect ourselves, and what it means to receive care. We will approach loss with respect for the different forms it takes and the individual rhythms of grieving.
We will also consider the parts of ourselves we tend to hide, judge, or overlook. Through gentle self-exploration, we will examine difficult emotions, internalized expectations, and the ethical tensions that arise when our needs and responsibilities conflict. These conversations offer space to practice self-compassion alongside accountability, honoring our boundaries, and choosing how much we wish to share.
This October, we invite you to slow down, listen closely, and make room for complexity. Through literature and shared reflection, we can deepen our awareness, recognize the dignity of our own stories and those of others, and explore how personal healing connects with collective care.
"Maud Martha"
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Gwendolyn Brooks
Through poetic glimpses of a Black woman’s everyday life, Gwendolyn Brooks explores identity, belonging, and the depth beneath ordinary moments. In keeping with October’s theme of Reflection, Depth & Awareness, this novel invites us to notice the feelings we hold quietly and the dignity within our stories. As ATS prepares to move to 623 East 63rd Street, the site of a former home of Brooks, this reading offers a meaningful connection to our new location’s history. Consider: How do our surroundings shape our inner lives, and what becomes possible when we feel truly seen?
“Grief is Love”
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Marisa Renee Lee
Marisa Renee Lee offers a personal reflection on living with loss and making room for the love that remains. Aligned with October’s theme of Reflection, Depth & Awareness, this book invites us to acknowledge grief’s complexity and release expectations about how quickly we should heal. Through her experiences, Lee explores how loss can coexist with connection, meaning, and joy. As you read, consider: What would it mean to give your grief space, and what kinds of care help you feel supported within it?
“Unlearning Shame”
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Dr. Devon Price
Dr. Devon Price explores how social expectations and systemic inequities can shape the belief that we are personally falling short. Aligned with October’s theme of Reflection, Depth & Awareness, this book invites us to examine internalized shame with curiosity and compassion. Price connects personal reflection with collective action, opening space to consider accountability without self-condemnation. As you read, reflect: Which expectations have you mistaken for measures of your worth, and how might understanding their origins help you relate differently to yourself and others?
“The Salt Eaters”
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Toni Cade Bambara
Toni Cade Bambara weaves a layered story of healing, identity, and community, exploring the connections between personal pain and collective struggle. Aligned with October’s theme of Reflection, Depth & Awareness, this novel invites us to consider how history, relationships, and responsibility shape our inner lives. Its portrayal of a Black community opens questions about wholeness, belonging, and receiving care. As you read, reflect: What does it mean to accept support when you are accustomed to holding others, and how might healing become a shared responsibility?
