When I was a freshman in high school, I had to find a book to write a book report on. I was frustrated because I couldn’t find anything that interested me in our school library; all the stuff I usually went for was checked out.

I remember voicing my frustrations to my mom, and she told me “See if your library has ‘Flowers for Algernon’. I think you would love that book.” I asked “What’s it about?”and she simply smiled and said “Just trust me. You’ll like it.”

So, curious, I went back to the library the following day and asked our school librarian if we had it.; we did.

I read the tagline on the book: “The daring novel of a startling human experiment!”. Hmm… a human “experiment”? I was intrigued. Who was Charly? And who was Algernon?

I checked out the book and began reading it that day during my English class. When the bell rang I was so disappointed to put the book away, and as soon as I got home that afternoon, I took it back out and began reading again. I couldn’t put it down; the story was sweet, beautiful, and sad. I read through the book quickly, falling in love with Charlie and fascinated with his journey in the story. Icried like a baby over the ending and after finishing the book, I playfully chastised my mom for not warning me about how sad it could be, but thanked her for telling me about it. She asked how I liked it and I said “I didn’t like it; I LOVED it, Mom.” I still remember the satisfactory grin she gave me, as if saying “See? I told you so!”

To this day, “Flowers for Algernon” is one of my very favorite books. As a woman who is now the mother of a son with special needs, the story hits home in a totally different way. It’s amazing to me that a book written so long ago still holds up so well; the messages within the story are still so important and evocative. It’s thought provoking, and gives a glimpse into what life is like for those with special needs, and I believe the themes of the story would provide deep social commentary even today.  After all these years, this story still holds such a special place in my heart, but for a lot more reasons than when I was first introduced to it in 1995.

Have you read “Flowers for Algernon?” Is there a book out there that holds a similar place in your heart?