Today is “National Book Lovers Day”. Let me start with saying that I am a huge “book lover”. Reading has always been my favorite escape. Ever since I was a kid. I started off reading books to my dogs when I was sad or feeling like no one was on my side… And I never stopped.
And now, many years later, I love a good book, more than I can even express.
So on National Book Lovers Day, to try and pick my “Favorite Book”, is really hard because I’ve read so many extraordinary ones. So many page-turners that I couldn’t put down. But one does come to mind immediately because of the story behind it:
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt.
I loved it so much that I actually read it twice in a row to make sure I didn’t miss any detail. It resonated with me. A memoir, a true story, about a boy growing up in Ireland, during the potato famine. He eventually emigrated to America and it wasn’t easy for him in the US either…
I felt haunted by his story. And so consumed by love for the little Irish boy who escaped Ireland only to have more struggles when he finally landed in the U.S.
FAST FORWARD….
I was living in NYC when I read Angela’s Ashes. And a couple days after I had finished my 2nd pass of it, I got off the subway, on my way home from work and I bumped into an elderly man at the top of the stairs. I said – “I’m so sorry I din’t see you there”. He said – “no worries honey, I am always happy to have a pretty lass bump into me”.
AND at that moment, I realized, I had bumped into the author of the book I had just devoured for the 2nd time – FRANK McCourt. I was star-struck. Yes, about an author! He started to walk away and I chased him. I said, excuse me, are you “Frank McCourt?” And he said “yes, miss, I am”. I said, please wait. I had his book, Angela’s Ashes, in my bag. I pulled it out and I showed him it. And we had such a lovely conversation. Lovely beyond words. I told him what an impact his writing had on me, and how much I loved his story-telling.
And I told him that one day I hoped to be an author, but couldn’t imagine ever living up to his craft. And he reacted like I would have hoped. He hugged me tight, and said – “thank you pretty lady, for making my day. One day, you will tell your own story too, and you will be greeted by someone like yourself, who you touched deeply too”.
I will never forget that day, and that message.
And I hope to have that happen one day. So, I am off to working on my novel.
And until then, remember to just read, and read, and read some more!