--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I look back on my reading habits…" description: "\"When I look back on my reading habits when I was really young, I was really drawn to stories about strong girls who in some ways are outsiders.\" — Jesm..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/jesmyn-ward-1426_about_when-i-look-back-on-my-reading-habits-wh_103916.png" --- # When I look back on my reading habits when I was really… ![“When I look back on my reading habits when I was really young, I was really drawn to stories about strong girls who in some ways are outsiders.” quote by Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/jesmyn-ward-1426_about_when-i-look-back-on-my-reading-habits-wh_103916.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/jesmyn-ward-1426_about_when-i-look-back-on-my-reading-habits-wh_103916.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b86/jesmyn-ward-1426_about_when-i-look-back-on-my-reading-habits-wh_103916.png) > “When I look back on my reading habits when I was really young, I was really drawn to stories about strong girls who in some ways are outsiders.” [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author’s early reading gravitated toward narratives featuring resilient, outsider women, reflecting a personal affinity for marginalized strength. **In simple terms:** Strong outsider women shaped early reading taste. Key Takeaway Stories of marginalized strength resonate deeply. Themes representation female empowerment outsider perspective literature Mood introspective empowering Type literary reflection cultural commentary When to use this quote - selecting diverse classroom reading lists - curating a personal library - writing a memoir about role models Key Concepts identity formation cultural resonance Practical Applications - Create a reading group focused on strong female protagonists - Use these narratives to inspire mentorship programs Questions to Reflect On - Why do outsider stories appeal to you? - How can these narratives influence your own sense of identity? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Outsiders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsiders/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-habits/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I was really drawn into the military when I was young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/i-was-really-drawn-into-the-military-when-i-was-young/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [I never really took a proper art class in college. I just started reading art magazines and going to galleries. I was really drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-gagosian/i-never-really-took-a-proper-art-class-in-college-i-just-started/) [Larry Gagosian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-gagosian/) > [Strong girls are not the one who doesn't cry, she is the one who cries but still knows how to get up and smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-hathway/strong-girls-are-not-the-one-who-doesn-t-cry-she-is-the-one-who-cries/) [Rose Hathway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-hathway/) > [Strong girls always motivate and energize me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seo-in-guk/strong-girls-always-motivate-and-energize-me/) [Seo In-guk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seo-in-guk/) > [Shakespeare's stories are still very strong. He structured fantastic stories about things that were fundamental to the human being and psyche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/shakespeare-s-stories-are-still-very-strong-he-structured-fantastic/) [James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/) > [I grew up in a family where the love of stories is very strong. And there's also a love of performance. I think one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-marie-macdonald/i-grew-up-in-a-family-where-the-love-of-stories-is-very-strong-and/) [Ann-Marie MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-marie-macdonald/) > [I'm super athletic and I love to work out, and obviously I need to workout for my industry as well, but I love learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-clark/i-m-super-athletic-and-i-love-to-work-out-and-obviously-i-need-to/) [Jessica Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-clark/) > [I like strong girls, as long as they don't get snappish. 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I wanted to write against that and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradition-has-been-demonized-for/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [There's so much I love about home, but then there's a lot that I can acknowledge that I dislike about home. And acknowledging that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/there-s-so-much-i-love-about-home-but-then-there-s-a-lot-that-i-can/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [“The dream of her was the glow of a spent fire on a cold night: warm and welcoming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/the-dream-of-her-was-the-glow-of-a-spent-fire-on-a-cold-night-warm/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [The first writer that I think of immediately that I studied with at Michigan is Peter Ho Davies. 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