There are books that become your friend, books you read and forget, and books that captivate you with their beauty. Then there are the books that change your life. They’re not always the ones you expect.
When I started to think of the books that changed me, I was surprised to find that they weren’t the books I go to for comfort or the ones I consider my favorites. Instead they’re a hodegpodge of stories, all of which taught me something. So on this day, Christmas Eve, I thought I’d share a few of the books on my list, in no particular order, and how they made a personal difference.
Book:A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Plot: The daughter of a wealthy man, 7-year-old Sarah Crewe is sent to boarding school. Though she has every advantage, Sarah is not one of the stuck-up awful kids. Instead she’s bright and nice to everyone, including the scullery maids. When news comes that her father is dead and her fortune lost, Sarah becomes a maid at the school where she was once the Queen Bee. But her imagination and attitude keep her spirits bouyed and even though at times she despairs, she never quite gives up on the beauty in life. In the end, her fortune is regained and the life she once had is restored.
How It Changed Me: No matter how awful Sarah Crewe’s life becomes in this book, she manages to create her own reality through her attitude. It’s a lesson that has served me well.
Book: Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
Plot: A young orphan, Emily, is raised by relatives after her parents die of consumption. Emily is a writer whose aunt does not understand her need to write. Her friends Teddy, Ilse and Perry have talents of their own that are little understood or supported by their relations. The story follows Emily in her quest to become an author.
How It Changed Me: I had always loved making up stories, but this was the first book I remember that pointed me towards being a writer. Emily loved the shape of words on the tongue, the ways in which they had meaning and saw stories in everything, just like me! This book taught me that while not everyone would understand the need to write, it was worth doing.
Book: My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
It doesn’t only help you treat erectile dysfunction, but improves your overall health and wellbeing as generic cialis 5mg well. It comes in various standards and the price differs 50mg viagra sale accordingly. This is one big advantage the Web is giving the public. sildenafil overnight shipping However, there is no strong evidence stating that oral ED drugs which help produce an erection in response to sexual stimulation for up to 36 hours after taking the dose.If Tadalafil is taken by people who are taking medicines to treat any of above problem, then it further upgrades the risk of getting adrenal fatigue. 7. viagra prescription cute-n-tiny.com Plot: A Jewish boy, Asher Lev, grows up as an artist and prodigy in Brooklyn. The story follows Lev’s life growing up in a Hasidic household with a father whose work puts him in opposition to Lev’s artistic dreams.
How It Changed Me: For Asher Lev, following his calling as an artist was important enough to go against his family and the strictures of his faith. Beautifully written, My Name is Asher Lev influenced my thoughts about the importance of art.
Book: Never Let Them See You Cry by Edna Buchanan
Plot: Non-fiction, Never Let Them See You Cry chronicles some of Pulitzer Prize-winning crime writer Edna Buchanan’s career with The Miami Herald.
How It Changed Me: I was a circulation desk clerk at The Key West Citizen the summer I read this book. My intention had always been to go into television writing, however after reading this I realized I wanted more experience with the world before I started writing fiction. I applied for a job as a reporter and spent the next eight years in journalism, an experience I cherish.
Book: Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Plot: Scarlett O’Hara loves, schemes and wheedles her way through the Civil War South. The cast of characters include sweet Melanie, who has a backbone of steel, irrascible Rhett Butler and Ashley Wilkes.
How It Changed My Life: For all her faults, and there are many, Scarlett O’Hara is a character with tremendous will and sense of self. Her strength inspired me in difficult times.
What books changed your life?
I still have the copy of Little Princess that my mom gave to me for Christmas. You know what really sticks out in my memory? The description of her underwear.br /br /Love,br /Mary
Great book choices. I loved Little Women like nearly every girl who dreams of being a writer.br /br /E
Mary — Burnett really had a way with the details. I still remember her descriptions of India in “The Secret Garden”. Brilliant!br /br /Erica — Thanks! It took me three years to get around to reading Little Women. I got it as a present when I was 8, but didn’t like it. But at age 11, Jo became one of my best friends, a kindred spirit (as Anne of GG would say). Some of my writing impulse can be traced to there.
Great post! br /br /Let’s see…Definitely Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Rose in Bloom, and An Old Fashioned Girl, C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia series, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Those were the books that I read at least 50 times over until I was about 15 years old. :-)br /br /Happy New Year!br /br /Michele
Jen,br /br /I just wanted to wish you and your family a wonderful New Year.br /br /Hopefully we will see you very soon,it has been too long.br /br /Love,br /br /~Sandy
Glad you appreciate GWTW.br /br /People say I imitate SCARLETT O’HARA, since we’re both bitches. But I’m as genuine as she was, since we were from the same neck of the Georgia woods, and we both were stars of novels.br /br /I saw MARGARET MITCHELL meet her tragic death on the sidewalk outside the Fox theater in 1949. (The Egyptian style theater in Atlanta where the movie GONE WITH THE WIND had premiered). A taxi hit her as she was crossing the street, looking up at the theater’s marquee where her name was displayed prominently. I tried to warm her of the taxi, but she didn’t seem to hear me. br /www.ruthieblacknaked.blogspot.com