Help me find a book to get back into reading

I want something that tugs at the heartstrings aka emotional. I’m fine with most genres except horror.
I’m looking for a standalone book, no matter how long, because I don’t have the time or mental energy to commit to a saga.
I would be okay with ‘classics’ (for example, I read Pride and Prejudice and Dickens’ Hard Times and enjoyed both very much). I’m not from an English-speaking country so just assume that no, we probably haven’t read that famous book back in high school (although some older works might be out of my league I don’t need books to improve my English or get into reading in English by the way! I promise that my reading comprehension skills are way better than my writing and I don’t usually have any problem with understanding what I’m reading at all.. But keep in mind that well-known classics for you might be an amazing new discovery for me!)
I’d like something both engaging and thought-provoking with fresh and solid writing. I was in the mood to try something written in 1st person but not a big deal if not.
Basically, I’ve been reading academic papers for four years and I’d like to find the joy of getting back into narrative!

by Avversariocasuale