What book served as the spark or turning point that sparked your interest in and passion for writing?

Okay, so when I was thirteen, I read MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I remember being absolutely transfixed by this book, unable to put it down, swooning over Sheftu (the love interest) and being utterly despondent when it was over. Because I never wanted it to end.

It took a while for me to find another book to top this one.

MARA was the book that made me want to write. It was the first book that I remember reading that absolutely sparked my desire to write the best that I could, to dream about maybe one day writing a book that would mean as much to someone else as MARA did to me.