Books

BOOKS

           

            I remember vividly, how much I hated books. Actually, I hated all reading materials. Newspaper, magazine, journal, you name it. I simply hate it all. Well, except for comics of course. I’ve tried hard tracking back time to find out when and why I’ve fallen in love with books. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I just can’t seem to find the answers. You must have thought that it is silly for someone to find out why he or she love what they love. In my little own funny world of thoughts, it just seem rather important somehow. I guess it’s just another weird way for me to get connected with myself.

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

"In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't built up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusions, misery and death."

- Anne Frank

This is probably the first serious book I’ve ever read. I was fifteen then. For about a week, I’ve immersed myself into the thoughts of a girl about my own age. I was amazed by her mature and wise ways of looking at the life that surrounds her. Despite all the hatred and injustice she faces for being a Jew, she still clings on to the idea that everyone is truly good in heart. It shows a different angle of perspective to the horrible nightmare of the holocaust.

For The Love of a Son by Jean Sasson          

“For every woman in Afghanistan who silently suffers unimaginable abuse at the hands of the men who should love and respect her. I’m sure these woman wonder if anyone in the world cares. I care”

- Jean Sasson

           

This one of those books that takes you deep into the emotions of the characters. Knowing that this is a non-fiction, it is even harder for me to flip from page to page without tearing. It is not the tears of sympathy but the challenge of accepting that horrible things are happening to woman everywhere in the world the moment I am reading this amazing book in the comfort of my house. I am astonished by the works of Jean Sasson. I hope that she will continue being the voice of the voiceless. May no one will ever have to suffer in silent. May the world listen hard to the loud cries of injustice in the world.

Growing up with Ghosts by Bernice Chauly

“She is Chinese, he is Punjabi. It is 1966. Loh Siew Yoke and Surinder Singh fall in love and marry but faces opposition from their families. Their first child brings peace, but tragedy soon strikes”

-A short description at the back cover of the book

The moments I read the description at the back cover of this book, I just went crazy. It’s definitely a ‘must read’ for me! You see, I come from a Punjabi father and a Sabahan mother (East Malaysia). So, it is only normal for me to be overjoyed when I knew such book exist. It’s like meeting someone from your own country in a foreign land.

I grew up differently from any of my cousins from either side, completely different. As a child, I go to both Gudwara and church, both Sunday School and Punjabi class. However, when my parents got divorced in 1998, everything slowly changes. By the time I’ve reached 7 years old, I’ve lost complete contact with any Punjabis or Sabahans. Now, I can’t speak a single Punjabi word or have the Sabahan excent. This book somehow brings me to a part of myself I’ve always wanted to see. Plus, I find a lot of similarities in the little stories the author brought to life. My father used to tell me the same stories about growing up as a Punjabi and the situation Malaya have to go through during the Japanese occupation. I’m also awe by the unique writing style of Bernice Chauly. The magic of her words brings the stories alive.