Susan Choi

Earlier this week, German authorities announced that a trove of Nazi-looted art, once thought lost, had been discovered in a Munich apartment. That news has sparked the imagination of author Susan Choi, who recalls reading a novel with a similar theme: Jenny Erpenbeck's Visitation.

Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter's 1845 novella Rock Crystal is the seemingly simple tale of two children who get lost in a snowfall on Christmas Eve. But author Susan Choi says the story perfectly captures humanity at its humblest and most resilient.

What is it about the human spirit? Even in the most emotionally and physically trying times, somehow, it is able to remain victorious. Author Susan Choi recommends three tales of struggle and, ultimately, of those who achieve great feats in the face of adversity.