I can’t choose just one, but here are my top 5 based on how much I admire them.

5. Laura Ingalls Wilder (my mother got me hooked on history with the Little House series.)

4. Harriet Tubman. She was incredible. (Black and disabled and led dozens of slaves to freedom single handedly.)

3. Cornelia Ten Boom. (Hid Jews during World War II. Survived a Nazi prison camp.)

2. George Washington. (He was a humble and strong leader.)

1. C. S. Lewis. (He’s historical at this point, I’d say. Probably has had more influence on my theology and writing style than any other author has.)

There’s so many more, like Joan of Arc, or Abraham Lincoln, or Harriet Beecher Stowe, who might not have made as much of an impact, but I can credit with inspiring me in some ways to be the person I want to be.

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it,” is the old saying.

I would add, those who do learn from history will learn the lessons that apply most to their own journey, even if they are not the ones widely recognized by scholars.

Happy learning–Natasha.