One Hundred Names

Today I want to introduce to you a book that I stumbled on last week at Eslite bookstore, One Hundred Names. It is written by Ceclia Ahern. Ceclia is an internationally bestselling author. Her most popular work, P.S. I Love You, moved millions are people into tears.

One Hundred Names is also a very touching novel. The protagonist, Kitty, worked as a journalist. Aside from writing columns for a magazine, she hosted a popular TV show. Although the show made her famous, it also got her trapped in a scandal. At the lowest point in her career, Kitty’s mentor, Constance, passed away. Constance was the Chief Editor of the magazine. She left behind a list of a hundred names to Kitty. The list was an answer to Kitty’s last question to Constance: What is the one story you always wanted to write?

Without any other hints, Kitty had to reach out to all the people on the list and tried to find the link between their stories. In the end, Kitty realized that the names were picked at random. The theme of Constance report was really simple: Everyone has a story worth sharing.

As an ex-journalist, I have encountered many interviewees who insisted that their stories didn’t worth public attention. Interestingly, though, their stories are in fact the ones that I remember the most clearly. I truly believe that our stories are all unique and we should be proud of them. On a different note, I think the novel gives us another lesson. We should treasure every chance that we get to listen to other people’s stories because their stories can be as fascinating as those of a celebrity.

Cecilia talks about One Hundred Names on BBC Breakfast:

P.S. A book fair is taking place on the 3rd floor of Eslite (the one across from NTU). The books are sold at discounts. You can check that out by Oct. 26.