The Spanish Gardener

Yes, I am referring to A. J. Cronin’s book in this post. I had just finished 7th standard and during the summer vacations before I started 8th standard was the year I was permitted to choose my own books at the library. This was the first book I picked. I don’t remember the story now. I remember it vaguely but this book had an impact on my heart. When I say impact, I mean it stirred up emotions in me that I didn’t even know existed. The feeling was so turbulent. Just remembering how the story pans out and how it unfolds churns rage, love and pure shock at the action of the characters in the book.
It is a beautiful book. I read Shannon’s way, Citadel (The Book that inspired the Dev Ananad Starer - Tere mere sapne) and The Stars Look Down by him but nothing ever did to me what the Spanish Gardener did. That was the third book that made me cry.

I am not going to tell you the story or introduce you to the characters because I’d be robbing you of the experience of reading the book yourself. It was the first book that introduced me to Love. No book since that has made me think of love in the same innocent way as was portrayed in the book.  It was also my first contact with looking at the world with cynical eyes. Yeah, an 11 year old looking at the world with scorn and wondering how could you let that happen? Why couldn’t you let things be?  What a child I was. I am sure if I read the book now I may not feel the same way. I am scared of going back to something that made me feel so much. Yet over the years I have been fighting the turmoil of picking the book again. I am coming real close to losing the battle because I haven’t felt in a long time. I need to un-numb.

So read the book. If you landed here by mistake or on purpose, either way read the book. Let me know if it did to you what it did to me. Let me know even if it didn’t.  I won’t judge you.

Happy Reading.

P.S: This song kept playing in loop in my head while I typed this post. Don't bother about the mis-matched music and post content. But, if you think that somewhere they blend then all I can say is - I feel you.



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