Mother’s Memorable Read

My mother, an avid reader since her childhood days, most memorable read is the book of the title “ 19 is too young to die.”

The book is the story of a young Japanese girl with leukemia. As a child growing up during the wars she was exposed to radiation during the bombing of Hiroshima. When she found out she had cancer, she decided that she will not waste one day of her remaining life. She started to live her life one day at a time and do good everyday although she was in pain.

As a teenager, my mother was going through a difficult period. After reading the book, she realised that life was very precious and that she had only one chance to be young and that she must live her life meaningfully. She started to see her parents and siblings differently and learned to appreciate them. She was then determined to study hard to attain good grades in her O’levels exams so that she can further her studies. When she was studying in England and later in Singapore, she always missed her family in Seychelles. She then remembers the Japanese girl’s determination and that kept her going. These days she still appreciates what life has to offer and attributed her outlook on life to this book.