Breaking Night

Breaking Night made me rediscover the power of persistence. Liz Murray’s story proves a simple yet profound truth: no matter how humble one’s starting point, with sufficient determination and perseverance, everyone has the opportunity to rewrite their destiny.

Liz’s environment was far harsher than mine—drug-addicted parents, family breakdown, homelessness. In comparison, while my rural upbringing had material limitations, I at least had a complete family and parental love. This made me treasure what I have even more and understand that complaining about circumstances changes nothing; what matters is our choices and actions.

What moved me most was Liz’s hunger for education and reverence for knowledge. When she decided to return to school, she was already a seventeen-year-old homeless girl, yet she completed four years of high school coursework in two years. This learning tenacity and focus deeply impressed me. Though I encountered difficulties and setbacks in my educational journey, compared to Liz, these seem insignificant.

“Choosing hope” is the book’s central theme and the core of Liz’s life philosophy. In the darkest moments, she chose to believe the future would be better; in the most difficult circumstances, she chose to keep fighting. This positive attitude not only helped her escape hardship but became the spiritual force supporting her success.

After reading this book, I’m more convinced of education’s power to change destiny. Regardless of background or circumstances, as long as we maintain a thirst for knowledge and a yearning for a better life, everyone can create miracles. Liz’s story reminds me that difficulties aren’t frightening—what’s frightening is losing hope and giving up effort. Her journey from the streets to Harvard proves that with books as wings, we can indeed fly to our own mountains.