Hello Pathos Readers!
For those of you who enjoy the visual and the written as a form of storytelling, I have the perfect book for you: The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc. Don’t be fooled by the title; this book places zero emphasis on toxic societal standards of women’s beauty. It transcends the boundaries of nationality, race, religion, ethnicity, and age, showcasing the world’s stunning women, what they do, the thoughts they have, their art, their entrepreneurship, their values, their eyes and scars and lips and birthmarks, no matter whether or not they conform to any ideals. Featuring photographs from more than five hundred nations, each portrait in this book is accompanied by a brief blurb, like the one below (copyright Mihaela Noroc):
“A ceramic art student in a workshop. A few weeks ago in Cluj, Romania.”
Noroc tells stories, some tear-jerking, some that spread smiles, from a Greek-Mexican soccer player to a young Iranian woman who survived a horrific acid attack. The Atlas of Beauty may seem, at first glance, a coffee table book. Something to skim once and leave, forgotten, on your shelf. But I assure you, you’ll go back to it again and again, to explore, to connect, to admire, and above all, to be inspired.
Happy travelling!
– Aishwarya
