The study of literature enhances our ability to communicate with others by acquainting us with the worlds other people live in, their history, geography, and culture, for example. Once we have a common reference, we can talk to anyone with greater ease. For example, when I read The Kite Runner and actually met someone from Afghanistan, I was thrilled to be able to talk to someone, having some understanding of what his native country was like. One term, I taught The Secret Life of Bees, and what was wonderful to me was that when I told my students I was the exact age as Lily and had lived through all the same times, it seemed to me that they were better able to communicate with me after reading the book because they had gained some insight into my world. Literature allows us to talk to one another more empathetically and knowledgeably.