Regents Essay 4 - January 2005

Session 2, Essay B

H. M. Tomlinson said, “The right good book is always a book of travel; it is about a life’s journey.” I believe that what H. M. Tomlinson is referring to is that even if a book is fictional, the characters learn something about themselves or about life. I agree with what Tomlinson says. I have read many books that validate the quote. The two books that I think best represent the quote are “Miracles Happen” by Jean and Brooke Ellison and “The Me in the Mirror” by Connie Panzarino.

“Miracles Happen” by Jean and Brooke Ellison is an autobiography of Brooke Ellison’s life with sections written by her mother, Jean. This book provides both perspectives of a situation. Both authors have a strong-willed character and will stop at nothing to achieve Brooke’s dream of graduating from an Ivy League University. Brooke and Jean describe the almost constant uphill battles they had to face every day. The battles range from allowing to live at home, to attending school due to her disability, to going to college with her mother as her attendant. “Miracles Happen” is Brooke and Jean’s journey through life from age seven until Brooke’s graduation from college. Brooke and her mother learn about themselves along the way, which is the main theme of this book, self-discovery. “Miracles Happen” truly is a book about a journey in both the physical and metaphysical sense.

“The Me in the Mirror” by Connie Panzarino is another novel that is about Connie’s journey through life. This is Connie’s autobiography of the trials and tribulations she faces along the way through her life’s journey with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She discovers how independent and strong she can be when she is faced with difficult situation. The theme of this book is also about self-discovery and ultimately finding out who you can be even if people don’t like it or believe it. Connie struggles for acceptance at every school she attends, first to a special needs school, then being mainstreamed in school and finally in attending college away from home. Each step of her journey is discovery of something new and something learned about herself and others. “The Me in the Mirror” is a journey of life, from the moment Connie is born until her life’s journey on earth has ended, complete with bumps and curves along the way.

As we grow up, our life takes us on a journey. We learn about ourselves and others. We struggle through life in certain parts while in others we slide right through. Each person travels through life at different rates and with different curves along the way. Like a good book, “The right good book is always a book of travel; it is about a life’s journey.”