The very first novel I remember reading was Enid Bayton “Magic Faraway Tree”. I vividly remember it as I was fully enchanted by the end of it. I was fascinated by the English life and the story of the 3 kids.
What initially surprised me was how they talked in the book that the kids were poor and not very well off. But in my eyes they owned a house and had good meals. I could not comprehend the difference between a developed country and a developing country poor at that stage.
The other thing that I loved about my first novel was the magical creatures and the sheer magic. It transported me to an unknown world where creativity and imagination knew no bound.
That first novel instilled in me a love of books that never abated. I went in to read a lot of Enid Blyton books. So that memory remains precious forever.
I have since bought the book for my son and my hope is that it starts his love affair with books just like I started mine.