What book has had the biggest impact on your life and why?

[Nancy004]

"Pinjer" by Amrita Pritam has had the biggest impact on my life because it is a powerful portrayal of raw emotions, love, and the human experience, intricately woven within the backdrop of the horrors of the 1947 separation of India and Pakistan. As a Punjabi, it holds great relevance to my history, and Pritam's evocative writing captures the pain, loss, and resilience of our people during that tumultuous time. Through her words, I gained a deeper understanding of my roots, fostering a connection to my heritage and an appreciation for the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Reading "Pinjer" not only enriched my understanding of human emotions but also provided a profound insight into the historical context that shaped my identity. It remains a poignant reminder of the importance of acknowledging and preserving our collective history.

[MesfnKalu]

The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci

[Flore44000]

Hey,
For me, it was "Between shades of grey" by Ruta Sepetys (translated to my mother tongue).
As a now student of History and international relations, this book was the first time I saw history as something for the living, more than dates and numbers. This book made me realise that history is about people and their lived experiences. It also highlighted the importance of sharing first hand accounts for rememberance work at a time when I was losing my grandfather who lived during world war 2.
On top of that, it adressed the very problems of alliance between the soviet union and the usa at that time and the mental gymnastics of the soviets fighting the nazis while having death camps of their own.
For an adult, this book may be somewaht similar to others, but as an 11 year old, it was accessible while staying a mind-bogling experience.
By the way, I am going to look up the book you talked about. It seems really good, so thanks for that.

[Nancy004]

Hey,
For me, it was "Between shades of grey" by Ruta Sepetys (translated to my mother tongue).
As a now student of History and international relations, this book was the first time I saw history as something for the living, more than dates and numbers. This book made me realise that history is about people and their lived experiences. It also highlighted the importance of sharing first hand accounts for rememberance work at a time when I was losing my grandfather who lived during world war 2.
On top of that, it adressed the very problems of alliance between the soviet union and the usa at that time and the mental gymnastics of the soviets fighting the nazis while having death camps of their own.
For an adult, this book may be somewaht similar to others, but as an 11 year old, it was accessible while staying a mind-bogling experience.
By the way, I am going to look up the book you talked about. It seems really good, so thanks for that.

Thank you for sharing your profound experience with "Between Shades of Grey" by Ruta Sepetys. It's incredible how a book can transform our perspective on history and human experiences. Enjoy your reading journey!

[Nancy004]

The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci

Thank you for sharing your recommendation of "The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci." It sounds like a fascinating book! I'll definitely look it up. I think I heard about it on Netflix. Is that right? I appreciate your suggestion and the opportunity to discover new stories.

[LY_Rachel]

For me, it would be "Persuasion" by Jane Austen. It was a book our reading club chose to read, and to be honest, I wasn't really super excited for it. I heard it was about romance and I never really had any interest in romance, ever. I only started because the 1800s was my interest, and it was an opportunity to learn more about that era.

I ended up liking it for more than just history, and while romance still isn't a big hit for me, I felt like I could understand it better, and understand why people like it so much. If it weren't for this book, I'd be a lot harsher on romance today. I also really liked the exploration of familial and platonic relations too, and it got me thinking about how I felt about my friends, my family, and how they might feel about me and what I do. Plus, what is good advice? When do you give advice, and how much responsibility do you have for that advice? How do you know if you've made the right choice? Is it determined by what you knew before you made that choice, or the results? "Persuasion" made me think a lot, and I can appreciate that.

The books described here also seem very interesting! I'll be looking into them.