The cast of the CBC original show Fortunate Son, Kari Matchett, Darren Mann and Rick Roberts.

The season finale of Fortunate Son premieresWednesday, Feb. 26 at 9 p.m. (9:30 NT) on CBC and CBC Gem.

The drama,inspired by a true story,is set in the socially and politically tumultuouslate 1960s. It tells the story of a family fractured by a mother's unyieldingdedication to activism and the personal toll it takes on those close to her.

Watch Fortunate Sonon CBC Gem.

CBC Booksasked the cast to share one book that has stuck with them.

"When I turned 30, I had an ever-increasing awareness that something was missing in my life. After much soul-searching, I developed an awareness that instead of being present in the moment, I was either worrying about the future (easy thing to do as an actor) or in some sort of regret or sadness about the past.But I didn'tknow what to do with that awareness.

"Within a week or two,I found myself in one of my favourite book stores at the time (the Bookshelf in Guelph, Ont.). As I browsed the shelves, I came across a display that seemed to be a beacon just for me: The Power of Nowwas on the shelf and it felt like a magnet that pulled me in. I bought it, and over the course of the next few months I read it everyday. There were days I could read a few pages.Other days, I only read a paragraph or even a few sentences.

"It's a book I still carry with me most of the time. I think what stays with me the most from the book is Eckhart Tolle's personal account of the first time he felt he was truly in the now.He heard himself say (to himself), 'I can no longer live with myself.'But what occurred to him in that moment was, 'Who was the "I"he referred to? What was the division there? Who was the real "I"in that phrase?'He realized the truth is, there is only one 'I.'And this notion forever changed him. And me. When I get caught up, as one does, I try to remember this. And when I remember to remember it inevitably brings me back to the now. I have come to realize that the now is where our true wealth and health, mind, body and soul really lie the power of now."

"It's hard to describe Kathy Acker's writing. It feels like it re-wires your brain. It's confusing sometimes, locations and points-of-view abruptly shift, sometimes you're not sure if you're in the real world or in a dream. It somehow manages to seem like it was simultaneously vomited onto the page and meticulously crafted. It is crass and carnal, confusing, titillating, shocking, sometimes it's so dirty that you feel like you shouldn't be reading it at all. It goes from political treatise to adventure novel to thriller to slapstick comedy.

"You are in the hands of an artist whose only imperative is truth, (i.e. the best kind of artist).One who is still behind the lines, fighting it out in the war zoneor tapping out messages from beneath the rubble. Empire of the Senseless is grotesquely carnal. It is vengeful and it can be cruel. It is filled with aching and longing. It is intellectual. It is funny. It is a wound of a book."

"HockeyTough is a book that sticks out to me, I've read it on multiple occasions to help get me over a hurdle. As ahockeyplayer, I was always looking for an advantage over my competitors. in doing so, I became a firm believer in working on my mental side of the sport. I find myself using a lot of these same methods of preparation, visualizingand mental toughness to help me reach my goals as an actor and to be the best that I can be.

"I always revert back to talking abouthockeywhen I talk about my personal success in acting, and a lot of that comes from working on my inner self."

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The cast of CBC's Fortunate Son reflect on the books that changed their lives - CBC.ca