[peacenik]

Originally Posted by RedThread12

Not only did I cry while reading this, I continue to weep years later, with appreciation and wonder at both the poetry of the words and the profundity of the story. Convicted armed robber escapes from Australian prison to Bombay where he makes his way through rich and indescribable circumstances (except in the book).

"SHANTARAM" by Gregory David Roberts. Here's the opening paragraph - best opening paragraph of any novel I've ever read, and the rest of the tale does not disappoint:

"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me or free to forgive them. It doesn’t sound like much I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it’s all you’ve got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make between hating and forgiving can become the story of your life."

Blessings . . .

shantaram is one of the best books i've ever read! it's a;ways in my top 5 lists.


also "1,000 splendid suns" made me cry repeatedly...so intense!