Thank you to my first favorite book:
It’s not JUST that it is a perfect book. Ten thousand words whittled down to 101. It is a story of perseverance. Of work. Of determination. It’s the first book I read to myself. I still read it all the time.
From the moment I met Harriet, I loved her. I saw myself in her. I liked that she was a spy. But I also thought she was Jewish–since she wore glasses.
My favorite teacher, Dan Sigley, gave me this book when he could see I was having trouble reading. I agreed to read it because it was SLIM. But it left a mark on me. It was the first book I ever read with a sad, open ending. It felt like REAL LIFE. Ultimately, this would be the first kind of book I would set out to write. It’s the book that made me a reader–that showed me what books could do.
I read these books when I lived in England. I learned about PLACE. And secondary characters that lead to inevitable and surprising endings.
At this point, I thought that theater would be the way I shared story. When that didn’t happen, time passed. I became a Mom. I was dared to write. I found these books. They became my teachers.
(Do you see why I don’t stick with one genre?? I like everything.)
I loved each of these books.
Each of these books also taught me about story. And character. And place. And yearning. When I think about the books I have written and am writing, I know I couldn’t have done it without these books.
What are the books that you want to thank?