Stories to Mature With

As a reader, there are without a doubt many books that I’ve ‘grown up with’, per se. Some books I’ve not only grown up with, but eventually grown up out of, or at least come to realize they mean more to me in my memories than they would if I reread them today (that does not make them less loved in the slightest, though). But there are other books that continue to mean more to me every time I read them, and I’m confident they will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

In today’s post I’m going to discuss a couple books that I’ve been able to see in a newer light as I grow older, as well as one that I expect to feel that way about in the future. These are the sort of books that people of all ages can truly benefit and grow from, and I’m so excited to share them!

It’s strangely hard for me to come to terms with writing something like this because I desperately want to say that every book I love fits this description. But I think that it is possible to have certain children’s books that you will love forever and ever, but that don’t grow with you in the same way that others do.

Anne’s House of Dreams, by L.M. Montgomery

I’m reading through the Anne books right now (slowly, but most enjoyably) and recently finished Anne’s House of Dreams. This is the second time I’ve read it, and I found it to be a truly lovely and sentimental story. If you’re unfamiliar with the story line of this book, it tells of Anne’s first few years as a married woman and the time spent in her very own treasured House of Dreams. 🙂

The funny thing is, when I read it the first time it was on the bottom of my list of the series. It just didn’t suit me. Somehow, even though I had found so much to love in the other books, this one just wasn’t my cup of tea. Surprisingly, several of my friends absolutely loved it, which always made me feel as though I was missing out on some secrets treasure of stories.

Come to find out, I most definitely was missing out. Rereading this book again this year has been truly incredible, and I find it hard to believe that this book which was only alright to me the first time could be so marvelous now. But I can hardly imagine how I’ll feel about it in a few more years! If I already found so much more to love in it after so little time I can’t wait to see what it means to me further along in life.

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

Ah, Little Women. Of course this would make it onto the list (you might have already expected to find it here). When I was coming up with books that mean more to you the older you get, this is the first one to come into my mind. I’m sure you’ve heard of people admiring the stages of maturity that are represented in this book, especially in regards to Marmee. People speak warmly of how when you become a mother yourself you begin to move on from relating to the four girls of the book and start finding yourself in Marmee instead.

I’m not quite to the point where Marmee is the most understandable character, but even in my own life I’m already seeing how your perspective of these stories changes as you grow up. Right now I’m rereading Little Women for school (which is truly the most delightful part of the day as I’m sure you can imagine). It was quite the start to realize that I’m now older than all four of the girls at the beginning of the book! It’s strange to see how young the younger ones are (I suppose I’ll be saying the same thing about the older ones as well in a few years!), and there is certainly more of a feeling of new appreciation and understanding for certain moments.

A Lantern in Her Hand, by Bess Streeter Aldrich

I have actually only read this book one time so far, last November for school. I loved it from the very first chapter! The writing style is both detailed and intentional, making for a thoughtful story that does an excellent job of revealing raw human pain and struggling. It follows the life of Abbie from when she is a young girl going off to make a life for herself on the prairie with her husband, to when she is grayed with age. I greatly enjoyed this story, which is the only book I’ve read that does such an amazing job writing the full legacy of a person’s life.

Since this book stretches over such a long period of time, I feel confident that it will prove even richer and more beautiful every year. Even though I loved reading about Abbie’s life as a mother and grandmother now, I realize that there is likely a lot of significance that I failed to feel at my age. This is a book that I will most certainly be returning to years down the road, and I can’t wait to see the ways it’s grown in meaning for me.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few books that have that timeless quality which allows you to mature with them as you grow older. They are, in my opinion, some of the most beautifully written stories of all time, and they never fail to satisfy me on a new way.

What are some books that you have found mean more to you with every read?