Books That Made Me Cry

Girls Talk is all about books for the month of October. We are to share what made us Timberlake like a river, books that made us laugh, books that kept us awake all night.

For a start, the Thursday is asking us to share what books made us cry. Here are my picks:

::Heaven and Earth::

It is an autobiography of Vietnamese girl named Le Ly Hayslip. It paints a haunting picture of the war that divided her country. Her strength and courage help her survive the Americans, the Viet Congs, and the South Vietnamese soldiers.

The book opens up your mind on almost everything about humanity. It made me feel so lucky to have choices. To have freely chosen the husband I wanted. To have the choice to give myself firstly to him, after all those years of taking care of myself. Le Ly, on the other hand was taken against her will. The irony was, it wasn't the foreign soldiers who took over the village. She was violated by her own people - the Viet Congs - whom her family trusted, defied the rules for, and fought beside.

There was so much to learn from Le Ly's tale. It will make you sad, cry, and will make you advocate not to wage war with another country.

::Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck::

I read this back in college and yet almost eight years, I still feel a pang of sadness every time I hear about the book. It is a story about two male friends, both grown up. The other is simple-minded that the other one is forced to look after him. And then one of them "does a bad thing."

Some may find it harsh and violent but the characters are endearing and will probably stay with you for a long time.

This is a short story - you can finish the book in a day or two if you are planning to read it. It's also a great introduction to Steinbeck's works.

::My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult::

The novel is keeping me further from reading the rest of Picoult's work. I lost count how many times I had to put down the book and sob lol! It is about a 13-year-old Anna who sues here parents for medical emancipation when she is expected to donate kidney (among others) to her sister who is dying of leukemia.

::Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix::

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan (but sad to say, I still have to save up and buy the 7th book. grin). I cried like a baby when Sirius Black (the godfather of Harry) died. Thinking Harry to be orphaned for the second time almost gave me emotional breakdown lol!

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