Some stories stay with you forever. Some storytellers never leave you.
For me, both are true when I think of my Amma.
She was the original bookworm in our home, an English professor in her early career, a literature student with an affinity for Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and all things poetic. The kind of mother who didn’t just read fairy tales to you but performed them, complete with expressive eyes and dramatic flair.
And today, every time I pick up a book, I feel her presence between the pages.
This post is a gentle walk down memory lane, a celebration of the stories that shaped me and reminded me of her. If you’ve lost a parent or shared a bond over books, I hope these pages from my past feel a little like yours too.
If my love for literature had a birthplace, it would be curled up beside Amma during her evening coffee or my bedtime, while she hummed an old nursery rhyme or tugged me to bed.
Childhood Treasures
What I didn’t know back then was that Amma had been building my love for books long before I could spell my name. On her daily train commutes, she’d buy little books from vendors- tiny tales like Thumbelina, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and more.
She collected them lovingly and later bound them into two giant volumes, which are still treasures in our home. Reading them now is like flipping through her memories.
Books that bring those memories alive:
- Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen – For the bittersweet endings and quiet wisdom.
- Grimm’s Fairy Tales – Because some stories need a darker edge to shine brighter.
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain – A tale of freedom, friendship, and finding your own moral compass in a complicated world.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain – Mischief, riverbanks, and whitewashed fences, this one brings back the reckless charm of childhood.
Romances I Wasn’t Supposed to Read
But like any cool reader-mom, Amma had her guilty pleasures too. Stacked in her closet were rows of Mills and Boons and other romance novels. From its dramatic covers to her fondness for poignant love stories, I was always intrigued. I wasn’t allowed to touch them until after my 10th grade… but of course, I snuck one out early.
That book? The Promise by Danielle Steel.
And yes, it’s still one of my favorite romances.
Books that remind me of her secret soft side:
- Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks – Emotional, old-fashioned romance with a touch of grief.
- The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller – Quiet, intense, and impossible to forget.
- The Promise by Danielle Steel – A love story that spans heartbreak, loss, and redemption.
The Literature She Loved and Passed On to Me
My earliest memory of “grown-up” literature is Shakespeare. We had Wordsworth quotes on the fridge and Shakespeare lines recited casually while cooking. I met Portia before I knew what feminism meant. The Merchant of Venice was a regular in our house- The quality of mercy is not strained– oh, how Amma recited that with passion.
After my 10th board exams, she told me I could pick any book to celebrate.
I picked Gone With The Wind.
That thick, heavy, dramatic masterpiece with the unforgettable Scarlett O’Hara. I was obsessed.
I lent it to a friend once. I never got it back.
And honestly? It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life.
(If you’re reading this and know where I can find an old edition, point me in the right direction—I’ll be forever grateful!)
Amma had a deep, unwavering love for Wordsworth. I still remember how her voice would soften when she recited “Behold her, single in the field, Yon solitary Highland Lass!”, as if the poem lived within her. And “I wandered lonely as a cloud…”? She would close her eyes and let the words float, like the daffodils themselves were blooming around us.
Those lines weren’t just poems to her; they were memories, moods, and music. It’s because of her that poetry became a comfort to me, something I could always return to.
It was Amma who helped me win every single English recitation competition in school. She’d patiently coach me, her expressive voice bringing each poem to life. “The highwayman came riding, riding, riding…”, she would whisper it dramatically, making me practice the pauses and the power in every line. In my lower grades, it was always about all the beautiful things, the gentle rhymes, the lilting verses.
She made poetry feel like a game of rhythm and wonder, and every time I stood on stage, I carried her confidence and cadence with me.
Books that live on through her influence:
- The Collected Poems of William Wordsworth – Because poetry is not dead in a home where it’s read aloud with emotion.
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – Scarlett O’Hara was my first complex heroine, and Amma adored her layered strength.
- The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare – Portia’s wit and courage were traits Amma admired in women.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – A haunting, wild love story that Amma always said was less about romance and more about obsession and pain.
The Nursery Rhymes That Never Left Her
And I wish they’d never leave me.
Amma knew more nursery rhymes than anyone I’ve met. She sang them to my niece with so much joy- right up until her very last days. I struggle to remember all the rhymes she sang, and it breaks my heart that my daughter, will never hear her voice, her song, her story.
Because it was Amma who introduced me to words.
To stories.
To poetry.
To dramas.
To imagination.
And now, all I want is to pass down even a tiny part of that magic to my little girl.
Amma,
You introduced me to language, rhythm, and stories that shaped my soul. You taught me to escape into books, to find meaning in metaphors, and to never underestimate the power of a woman with a story to tell. You aren’t here to meet my daughter, Amma. But every time I pick up a book, I see you. And in every bedtime story I read to her, I hope she hears a little bit of your voice. As I raise her, I find myself looking for ways to recreate that connection you and I shared. Our bedtime stories. Our long talks about fictional characters. Our shared joy when we found the perfect line in a poem.
I have your collection of children’s books and fairy tales. I have your stories inside me. I have your love for literature running in my veins. And I hope one day, when she reads her first big book, she’ll feel like her Ammumma is right there beside her- just like I still do.
Tell Me About the Books That Remind You of Someone You Love
Or a story you’ll always associate with a loved one?
I’d love to hear about it. Drop it in the comments or connect with me on Instagram.
Let’s celebrate the stories that shaped us- and the storytellers who gifted us our love for books.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Mister Tikku.
This post is a part of ‘Verse Wave Blog Hop’ hosted by Manali Desai and Sukaina Majeed under #EveryConversationMatters.
This was so touching Shalini.I gained my love for books from my Father , he is no more with us but sometimes when I read a book that he used to read , I feel we are still connected in some way.
Your post made me so nostalgic. You reminded me of all the books I have read, and I passed them on to my daughter to read. My mom was not well read, and these were my own choices, but when you pass on the legacy, it feels so much more precious. I wish I had a granddaughter who could read the poetry. literature and fiction that I read. My grandsons live in Mexico, and my DIL has a different set of reading material for them.
This was such a beautiful read. Your Amma sounds so special… the way she brought stories to life, saved those little books, and passed on her love for reading is just heartwarming. I could picture those bedtime stories and her dramatic storytelling. And the part about Gone With the Wind, I really felt that. Hope you find that edition again someday. Thanks for sharing such a lovely memory.
What a tribute to your mother. She certainly left you with the best legacy. Books never grow old, in fact they grow on us and knowledge is a warm companion. I’ve enjoyed reading most of these books too, and still enjoy Mills & Boons.
I feel kindness, love and core memories should be the important thing to be inherited from parents. It’s beautiful how you take us on a nostalgic time of reliving memories where they didn’t scold us for buying books but got us books in the first place. I remember mamma had a customer who used to sell kids books but the twist was that in the books like Cinderella they used to add kids name. So technically for me the story was about me and everything that happened to Cinderella was actually happening with me while reading. I have kept that book safe with me till date and this blog really made me nostalgic. Thank you for sharing this heartfelt piece!
A big, warm hug to you firstly, Shalini. I cannot relate to your pain of losing a mother but I can understand and imagine what it must be like to have a void that can never be filled now. As for the book titles you’ve mentioned here, how they came to you, and the way your mother used literature as decoration and reference point in daily life.. uff! I’m an admirer and it’s no wonder you turned out to be such a book-lover. I can already these traits now being passed on to your little princess. Imagine 15-20 years from now, her writing such a post for you too, or maybe even earlier
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This is so beautiful and deeply touching, Shalini! I’m truly emotional right now. Your daughter will not only inherit your amma’s stories but also your gift of storytelling, giving her the magic to create a world of her own.
It reminds me of a moment from my college days when I desperately wanted to read To Kill a Mockingbird. Out of the blue, on my birthday, I received it by post from my childhood friend Ankita. Strangely, I had never even mentioned it to her. That book remains incredibly special to me even to this day.
Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella these 2 are absolute love for me and I cherish reading them even today when I go back to my parents place. All I can rememeber that while holding the books in my hand and looking at the pictures I always felt like being in that world which looks so colorful happening and so imaginative. I am trying hard to give my son that feel… But how much I will succeed that time will say. You made me feel so nostalgic.
It is a heart-warming and touching blog. Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart with all of us. I feel so glad whenever I see kids of these days are inclined towards books because when I was a kid I only used to study from coursebooks.
I think I am more like your mom in my taste for books. A lovely nostalgia- filled post.
This brought tears to my eyes. The love, the books, the legacy! what a beautiful way to honour your Amma. I’m off to dig up my old fairytales now. Thank you for this.
This was a heartwarming read shalini. I truly resonate with your feelings here. This reminds me of my Amma
Such a warm read, Shalini. I too gained my love for books from my Maa; she still loves to read, and she is the one who introduced books to me. Such an amazing thing is that after that, I never felt alone because in any matter, books are there to hold my hand.
Wow! Its a beautiful post! I feel the emotions
Such a beautiful tribute to your mother. God bless you. It reminded me of my mother. She was the ones who passed on the reading genes to us. She used to have a bookshelf in every room.
You’re incredibly lucky to learn and get inspired by someone so knowledgeable and well-read. Growing up must be such a fun learning experience for you!
Such a beautiful tribute, Shalini. I could feel your Amma’s presence in every word; the way she performed fairy tales, created those binding volumes ; it’s pure nostalgia.
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Such a beautiful walk down! I totally get where you got your bibliophilic itch! I am not into romance, never read any MnB. I guess the only romance I read was It starts with us.
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I don’t have memories about the favourite books of my parents/grandparents as we didn’t have the books at home. Most of the reading at my home was done by borrowing books from the public libraries! But reading was definitely a part of the household.
Tight hugs, Shalini. A beautiful tribute to your mother. Our mothers have so much in common. I too get by bibliophile genes from mom. I could not find my comment, so I dropped it again just in case it did not go through.
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Hey Shalini! This post was very nostalgic. As I read every word, they reminded me of my paternal grandfather who introduced me to the world of books. I know, they are always with us whenever we cherish their memories and pass on their teachings. To answer your question, one such book is the Jataka Tales that my grandfather used to read and tell me the stories in every winter afternoon.
Wow, reading “Books That Remind Me of My Mother” melted my heart—I totally get that emotional tug when a book echoes the scent of home. I love how you traced each title back to a moment shared with her, it felt like peeling back old photo‑thick layers of memory. Your post had me nodding and sighing at the same time, because I recognize that ache when a book becomes a bridge to someone you miss. And the way you describe her voice through those stories—I swear I could almost hear it in your words. It’s beautiful how literature can resurrect fragments of her smile, her advice, her favorite lines. You’ve inspired me to dig through my own bookshelf for those hidden connections. Thank you for reminding me how powerful—and healing—it is to carry our moms with us, one page at a time. #VerseWaveBlogHop #EveryConversationMatters
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
This is one such book, I loved reading.
Thanks for the other book recommendations