Biographies That Are My Compulsive Reads

Bridge Across My Sorrows By Christina Noble: An extraordinary moving story which is both heart-rending and inspirational. Outspoken, often angry, yet profoundly moving, this book is one of the most inspirational stories ever told. Her story is one of bravery and resilience in the face of deprivation and abuse on a scale most would find unimaginable.

Outline- Christina Noble's childhood in the Dublin slums barely merits the name: after the early death of her mother the family is split apart, their alcoholic father unable to care for them. Christina is sexually abused and later escapes from an orphanage only to become destitute on the streets of Dublin. At sixteen she is pulled into a car by four men and raped repeatedly. Later, driven to near insanity by overwork and a violent husband, she finds in a dream the will to fight back. Yet there is no vision of luxury and self-indulgence; instead Christina's hope lies in a determination to work among the 'bui doi', the street children of Vietnam.

And here the most extraordinay part of her story begins, on the streets of Ho Chin Minh City, where destitute children swarm and the rich turns a blind eye. To these needy children, she became, and remains to this day, an irrepressible, unorthodox and staunch champion. You may even check her foundation out on this link: http://www.cncf.org/en/home/index.php


The White Masai by Corrine Hoffman: Most of us might spend a few minutes enjoying a fantasy of what it would be like stepping outside our lives and into another culture; Corrine Hoffman, a Swiss girl, actually did it. This book is a fine piece of meticulously observed social anthropology.

Outline- Corrine Hoffman falls in love with a Masai warrior while on holiday with her boyfriend in Kenya. After overcoming all sorts of obstacles, she moves into a tiny hut with him and his mother in his village, and spends four years in Kenya. Slowly but surely the dream starts to crumble until she flees back home with her baby daughter born out of the seemingly indestructible love between a white European and a Masai. From close shaves with wild animals to the rigours of a substance existence in the bush, disease, malnutrition, hunger, ritual mutilation and overiding it all, a consuming passion for another, almost wholly alien, human being, this is a book steeped in humanity: one which emphasises how much we all share, and how much has come to seperate us.


Marley and Me by John Grogan: The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. A bitterweet blend of wild comedy and poignant tragedy. They did not call Marley the world's worst dog for nothing.

Outline- John and Jenny were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy- and their life would never be the same. Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven- pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever who crashed through screen doors, flung drool on guests, stole women's udnergarments, devoured couches and fine jewellery, and was expelled from obedience school. Yet Marley's heart was pure, and he remained a steadfast model of love and devotion for a growing family through pregnancy, birth, heartbreak, and joy, right to the inevitable goodbye.

And of course My All Time Favourite

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: The much talked about book on this blog. You dont need any introduction for this one I hope. Let me know if you do. I will be keen and eager to fill in the details ;)


p.s: I would love to see this list grow so please do share your favourite biographies with all our readers out there. Im sure they would appreciate it as much as I do :)

Be careful what you pray for

The following is a hilarious excerpt from the book Eat Pray Love which I'm currently reading.

Richard found himself praying all the time. His prayer was always the same. He kept begging God, "Please, please, please open my heart." That was all he wanted- an open heart. And he would always finish the prayer for an open heart by asking God, "And please send me a sign when the event has occurred." Now he says, recollecting that time, "Be careful what you pray for Groceries, cus you might just get it." After a few months of praying constantly for an open heart, what do you think Richard got? Thats right- emergency open-heart surgery. His chest was literally cracked open, his ribs cleaved away from each other to allow some daylight to finally reach into his heart, as though God were saying, "Hows that for a sign?" So now Richard is always cautious with his prayers, he tells me. "Whenever I pray for anything these days, I always wrap it up by saying, "Oh, and God? Please be gentle with me, Ok?"

Eat Pray Love

"The resting place of the mind is the heart. The only thing the mind hears all day is clanging bells and noise and argument, and all it wants is quietude. The only place the mind will ever find peace is inside the silence of the heart. Thats where you need to go."