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Three Impactful Books

I love books and as long as it had romance in it, I considered it a good read. Then I met these three and in some ways they did change my life.

The Thornbirds

I’ve written about this one before. It is a sweeping saga centered on the love between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, a priest who is torn between his love for the young Meggie and his faith. This bittersweet love affair has several themes but the most poignant is that of ambition, sacrifice and the consequences of sin. You can’t help but root for them but the relationship is doomed from the start.

The impact it had on me was incredible. Here was someone, Colleen McCullough, who wrote with such grace, beauty, expertise and had the power to take you on a journey until the very end. Her words had the power to touch something deep within and I wanted to be just like her!

Wuthering Heights

It was written by Emily Bronte and is a story that revolves around a troubled relationship between Heathcliff, who is adopted by the Earnshaw family and Catherine Earnshaw. However, Catherine marries Edgar Linton for social status which in turn drives Heathcliff to plot revenge against those who wronged him. An intriguing story of class differences and the destructive power of love. A toxic relationship that keeps you enthralled to the very end.

The impact it had on me was that “love” is a painful thing and it has many facets. I still feel that way.

The Diary of Anne Frank

This one was captivating, heart-wrenching and it chronicles man’s inhumanity to man. Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis in a “Secret Annex” above a shop in Amsterdam. She goes on to detail her daily life with others in the annex and of her fears and hope amid the war. However, after years in hiding, the family is captured by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. Her father, Otto Frank, will be the sole survivor.

The impact it had on me was mind-boggling. I lived her journey right to their capture and later cried when she along with her mother and sister died in the concentration camp. It is a powerful firsthand account of life in hiding and one young girl’s will to survive under unimaginable circumstances. It also taught me that life and people can be cruel.

Daily writing prompt

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

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Jobs I’ve Had?

I’ve been very conservative about moving from job to job. If I liked a job, I would stay with it and I’ve been lucky enough to say that the jobs I’ve held have kept me there for a long time.

Writing has always been a first love but I didn’t get to concentrate on it fully until at a later stage in my life. Sure, I got articles published at an early age but a job it wasn’t. Just something I dabbled in because I loved writing and getting the word out.

I was in management at the university, both working and studying at the same time. It was tough but it wasn’t really what I wanted to do. However, I bit my lip and held on just long enough until I finished, met my ex and we moved to Europe. Still writing was sporadic to say the least. I published a lot of articles, wrote for magazines and kept my political side alive by writing online articles rubbing shoulders with the best of them. It wasn’t my dream job.

A few years later, I landed the job of Fashion Editor. It wasn’t exactly my cup of tea either. Basically I was involved with the celebrity world, what they wore, what they did and what was going on in their lives. Add the supermodels to it and I was right in the middle of what was happening. Still, I was getting tired of designers and the celebrity BS! After a few years of doing that, I got the opportunity to leave that world behind and to go it alone. Now, I write what I want, when I want and my time is mine alone. It’s a good place to be in and writing, well it is still my first and last love. I will always write and I’m hoping my book will be out later this year. Keeping fingers and toes crossed!

Elizabeth Bennet

I would choose her because I think we have many similarities. If you don’t know who she is, she is the second daughter in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Someone told me not too long ago that I reminded him of her simply because she is set in her ways like I am or as he put it, COMPLICATED.

However, there is more to her than meets the eye. One of the things I admire about her is that she didn’t let societal pressure sway her and since I am stronger now than I used to be, I don’t let anything or anyone sway me as well. I am my own person, not a good thing always but I find it to be a good thing.

She expresses herself with wit and humor and I think I tend to do that. I have this funny bone that shows up more often than not. The problem is I tend to break out in laughter when I am by myself and when I see humor in a certain situation I burst out laughing. Chachi, the cat, thinks I’m crazy but he loves me regardless. The negative aspect of this character is that she forms opinions quickly and that is a death sentence for any relationship. It is the same with me. A new relationship is on shaky ground from the get go and I shut it down without batting an eye if I see red flags. Elizabeth also has a strong sense of morality and integrity and so do I. However, those two things do bring their own brand of problems because some say I am a stick in the mud but I stick to who I am and that too is a problem. You will see Elizabeth developing her character throughout the novel learning to understand how love and relationships work and she finally finds happiness with Mr. Darcy while I am still looking for him! At this rate, I don’t think he is going to show up.

Daily writing prompt

If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?

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