Review: The Good Daughters & Giveaway

Summary: They were born on the same day, in the same small New Hampshire hospital, into families that could hardly have been less alike. 

Ruth Plank is an artist and a romantic with a rich, passionate, imaginative life. The last of five girls born to a gentle, caring farmer and his stolid wife, she yearns to soar beyond the confines of the land that has been her family's birthright for generations. 

Dana Dickerson is a scientist and realist whose faith is firmly planted in the natural world. Raised by a pair of capricious drifters who waste their lives on failed dreams, she longs for stability and rootedness. 

Different in nearly every way, Ruth and Dana share a need to make sense of who they are and to find their places in a world in which neither has ever truly felt she belonged. They also share a love for Dana's wild and beautiful older brother, Ray, who will leave an indelible mark on both their hearts. 

Told in the alternating voices of Ruth and Dana, The Good Daughters follows these "birthday sisters" as they make their way from the 1950s to the present. Master storyteller Joyce Maynard chronicles the unlikely ways the two women's lives parallel and intersect—from childhood and adolescence to first loves, first sex, marriage, and parenthood; from the deaths of parents to divorce, the loss of home, and the loss of a beloved partner—until past secrets and forgotten memories unexpectedly come to light, forcing them to reevaluate themselves and each other. 

Moving from rural New Hampshire to a remote island in British Columbia to the '70s Boston art-school scene, The Good Daughters is an unforgettable story about the ties of home and family, the devastating force of love, the healing power of forgiveness, and the desire to know who we are. -- William Morrow

Last year, I reviewed a very good book called LABOR DAY by Joyce Maynard. It was the first book that I had ever read by Ms. Maynard, and I was very much impressed with her writing and storytelling abilities. I immediately placed her name on my need-to-read author list (I also had high hopes of going back and reading her backlist, but you know how that goes!)  A few months back, I learned that she had written another novel called THE GOOD DAUGHTERS, and I knew I wanted to read it!

I am very happy to say that THE GOOD DAUGHTERS did not disappoint. In fact, I really, really enjoyed this novel. As was the case in LABOR DAY, I thought Ms. Maynard wrote a wonderful story that managed to capture my interest (and heart) from the start. The characters are memorable and the book just spoke to me because it was so incredibly honest and real. Overall, I thought it was a wonderful read and one that I couldn't put down.

THE GOOD DAUGHTERS is the story of two girls (and eventually women) who were born on the same day -- Ruth and Dana. The novel follows both girls from the 1950 to the present, and the reader gets a very personal look at each of their lives. Their stories are told in alternating chapters in each woman's voice, and I have to say that I loved that the story unfolded in this way. As a reader, I felt as if I got to really know and understand each woman, and I found that both women were so incredibly honest with their stories.

I found both Ruth and Dana to be extremely interesting, and often times flawed, characters. Throughout both of their lives, they had to deal with difficult family situations as well as complex relationship issues. Ruth and Dana were pretty much total opposites from outside appearances, yet I appreciated how similar their stories were. Despite their very different personalities as well as life choices, many events in their lives seemed to almost parallel each other. I was extremely impressed with how well Ms. Maynard compared and contrasted the characters' stories because I felt the presentation style really made this novel.

There is no doubt that I enjoyed the characters in THE GOOD DAUGHTERS as well as how Ms. Maynard told the story; however, I want to share with you how much this book touched my heart. Because the characters were so well-developed, I think I became very caught up in the ups and downs of their lives. Often times, my heart went out to both Ruth and Dana, but I also found myself questioning their decisions and even wanting to shake them at times. I believe that the characters were acting in such an honest way that I felt as if they were real people. I honestly can't say that about every book that I read!

I think because I did feel so vested in the characters that I found the ending of the book to be satisfying -- although I admit that I wasn't totally surprised. I don't want to give away anything, but I will say that I definitely liked how the story came full-circle, and once again, I was really impressed with how Ms. Maynard had each of the characters react to their discovery. I felt as if their actions were genuine and in keeping with how the characters evolved throughout the story.

I think THE GOOD DAUGHTERS would be a wonderful book club pick. It really does touch upon a lot of themes that women are going to relate to. I was excited to find that there is already a reading guide

As you can clearly see, I thought THE GOOD DAUGHTERS was a wonderful read, and Joyce Maynard is definitely an author whose books and characters really resonate with me. If you are a fan of women's fiction and highly emotional novels, then I suggest taking a look at THE GOOD DAUGHTERS.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel.

Giveaway alert: I have one copy of THE GOOD DAUGHTERS to share with one lucky reader! To enter, just fill out the form below -- that's it! I will accept entries until November 2, 1010 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and I will notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you in the US and Canada only. Good luck!

Wondrous Words Wednesday - October 20, 2010

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Kathy aka Bermuda Onion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

THE BLUE ORCHARD by Jackson Taylor

mansard - In their report they describe it as a three-story, red-brick dwelling with pillared porch and mansard roof.  (p. 2)

mansard: Also called mansard roof . a hip roof, each face of which has a steeper lower part and a shallower upper part.

accoucheur- As our medical knowledge increases the necessity for therapeutic abortion is growing less and less, and now it is only in rare cases that the accoucheur feels that the best interest of the mother, the family, and the community are served by this sacrifice. (p. 147)

accoucheur: a person who assists during childbirth, esp. an obstetrician.

What new words did you discover this week?

Review: The Gendarme

Summary: What would you do if the love of your life, and all your memories, were lost—only to reappear, but with such shocking revelations that you wish you had never remembered...

A haunting, deeply moving novel-an old man comes face-to-face with his past and sets out to find the love of his life and beg her forgiveness.

To those around him, Emmet Conn is a ninety-two-year-old man on the verge of senility. But what becomes frighteningly clear to Emmet is that the sudden, realistic dreams he is having are memories of events he, and many others, have denied or purposely forgotten. The Gendarme is a unique love story that explores the power of memory- and the ability of people, individually and collectively, to forget. Depicting how love can transcend nationalities and politics, how racism creates divisions where none truly exist, and how the human spirit fights to survive even in the face of hopelessness, this is a transcendent novel. -- Amy Einhorn

This month, my on-line book club decided to read THE GENDARME by Mark T. Mustian. I was extremely excited about this selection because the book sounded exactly like one that I would enjoy. I'm not a big reader of history books, but I do love to get my "history lessons" from fictional accounts. (Yes, I do realize that's a form of cheating, but I probably wouldn't pick up a true history type book.) And THE GENDARME explored the conflict between the Turks and the Armenians -- a subject about which I knew absolutely nothing.

I've been postponing writing this review because THE GENDARME was such a difficult read for me. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, I had a very hard time getting into the story for the first half (or so) of the novel. It wasn't that I didn't like the book, but I wasn't rushing back to pick it up after I set it down. I think the difficult subject matter probably was a big reason behind this, but I still think the pace of the novel was an issue for me too. On the other hand, I knew I was reading a well-written and very powerful book. I guess I have to say that while I didn't exactly enjoy the entire novel, I did appreciate it a great deal.

I think one of the things that truly surprised me about the book was how much it affected me. I didn't really relate to the main character or even like him very much, and as a result, I was worried that the book wouldn't resonate with me at all. However, I found that THE GENDARME really made me think about quite a few things. First and foremost, I was reminded of how incredibly awful war is and how it brings out the worst in humans. Even though I was disgusted by the behavior of some of the Turk soldiers, I couldn't help but see that in a way they were victims of the war as well. I was also grateful (not sure that's the right word) that I read this book because I learned about the conflict between the Turks and the Armenians. I am incredibly embarrassed to say that I had no idea such horrific events took place, and I found myself wanting to learn more about them after finishing the book. (And it made me question what else I don't know about world events.)

Another thing I appreciated about this novel was how the author developed the character of Emmet. While I didn't exactly love him, I still was impressed with how complex and well-developed he was. I was kind of blown away by Emmet and his memory loss, and I found it interesting to learn about Emmet's past. I really enjoyed that Emmet was so human and had many faults, and that the author really challenged me to think about Emmet and his past actions. It was apparent that my issues with Emmet weren't all black and white, and the shades of gray in between really challenged me as a reader and a person.

And finally, I really thought this story was very well-written. The premise of the book is really unique and special, and I definitely liked how Mr. Mustian presented the story and how he managed to surprise me a few times with the story. I appreciated having the opportunity to learn Emmet's story in his words; and I liked how the author let the story unfold by alternating between the present and the past. I especially enjoyed how Mr. Mustian used the theme of memory and I found it interesting that I discovered Emmet's prior actions pretty much at the same time he did. I thought it was all very well-done.

Unfortunately, I had some family obligations the day of my book club's discussion and I missed our meeting. I was extremely disappointed because I do think I could have benefited from talking about THE GENDARME with others. There is a wonderful reading guide available which asks some extremely thought-provoking questions. Some of the topics which really are just begging to be discussed include war and the effects it has on individuals and a country, religious differences, memory, forgiveness, redemption, love, dreams, mental illness, and many more. I found THE GENDARME to be quite complex and I think the characters and their actions could be discussed for hours.

As I mentioned before, my feelings about THE GENDARME are mixed to say the least. I can't go so far as to say that I enjoyed it, but I did appreciate the writing and the story. And it definitely made me think!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel.

Please Ignore Vera Dietz Book Launch Party & Giveaway

Last weekend, Booking Daughter and I had the pleasure of attending the book launch party for A.S. King's new novel PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ. My favorite bookstore Aaron's Books in Lititz, PA, hosted the event and I thought it was huge hit! There was a great crowd filled with lots of Amy's family and friends, and Amy read us some excerpts from her incredible novel -- you can read my review here. The food was terrific too. We had pizza (which fit perfectly with the book since Vera had a job delivering pizzas) along with a book-themed cake and homemade cupcakes topped with images from the book (see pictures below.) And as if that wasn't enough, Amy's daughter even gave out little bags of chocolate for party favors. It was so much fun!

Even though PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ is geared towards an older audience, Booking Daughter still managed to have a wonderful time. She absolutely loves the folks at Aaron's books as well as Amy. Personally, I think she's kind of excited to say she's friends with a real-live author. I can't blame her because I feel the exact same way. Check out Booking Daughter with her pickle cupcake!

As you already know, I am a huge fan of A.S. King's and I think PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ is truly a remarkable book. I really can't recommend it enough and I encourage all of you to get your hands on a copy of this book right away!

Did you think I'd go to a party and forget about all of my friends? Of course not! I have one autographed copy of PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ to share with one of you! To enter, just fill out the form below before November 1, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. ET, 2010. I will randomly pick the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you who have U.S. or Canada addresses only. Good luck!

Review: The Blue Orchard

Summary: On the eve of the Great Depression, Verna Krone, the child of Irish immigrants, must leave the eighth grade and begin working as a maid to help support her family. Her employer takes inappropriate liberties, and as Verna matures, it seems as if each man she meets is worse than the last. Through sheer force of will and a few chance encounters, she manages to teach herself to read and becomes a nurse. But Verna's new life falls to pieces when she is arrested for assisting a black doctor with "illegal surgeries." As the media firestorm rages, Verna reflects on her life while awaiting trial.

Based on the life of the author's own grandmother and written after almost three hundred interviews with those involved in the real-life scandal, The Blue Orchard is as elegant and moving as it is exact and convincing. It is a dazzling portrayal of the changes America underwent in the first fifty years of the twentieth century. Readers will be swept into a time period that in many ways mirrors our own. Verna Krone's story is ultimately a story of the indomitable nature of the human spirit—and a reminder that determination and self-education can defy the deforming pressures that keep women and other disenfranchised groups down. -- Touchstone

I was so excited when a member of my book club selected THE BLUE ORCHARD by Jackson Taylor for our October meeting. THE BLUE ORCHARD actually takes place in Harrisburg, PA -- just a few miles from where I live. Needless to say, there aren't a lot of books that take place in Harrisburg; and as a result, the book has been getting a ton of coverage. In fact, it seems like every local book club I know has already read and discussed this book.

I had been meaning to read this novel for quite a few months, and I even went to an event where Mr. Taylor discussed the book. After hearing the author describe some of the historical events that took place here, my curiosity was definitely piqued. Plus, the novel was based on Mr. Taylor's grandmother's life as an abortion nurse -- how interesting does that sound? I thought it sounded like a winner, but unfortunately, it wasn't until my book club gave me a deadline that I finally got around to reading it.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed THE BLUE ORCHARD. It was an incredible story with some pretty fascinating characters. THE BLUE ORCHARD tells the story of Verna, a young nurse who accepts a job with an African-American abortion doctor. Keep in mind that this book takes place primarily in the 1940s and 1950s when abortion was illegal and blacks did not have equal rights. Verna's story from a poor farm girl to a wealthy abortion nurse is an amazing one. And this book once again proved to me that truth can be stranger than fiction. (I know....this book is a novel -- but it was heavily based on Mr. Taylor's grandmother's life!)

THE BLUE ORCHARD is told through the eyes of Verna, the author's grandmother. At the beginning of the story, Verna is just a young girl who is forced out into the world to help provide for her family. Her story is a tragic one -- she faces a cruel boss, a rape, and an unwanted pregnancy. And that's just the beginning of Verna's woes. My heart absolutely went out to her, and I was reminded of how many people were thrown into horrible situations because of the Depression. Ultimately though, Verna was a strong girl who did what she had to do just to survive.

And, I think Verna continued to be an incredibly determined woman throughout this novel, even when her luck changed. After a great deal of work, she eventually received a degree in nursing and began working for a successful abortion doctor. She also began making more money than she ever imagined possible. Even though she made quite a few sacrifices in her personal life so she could provide for her family -- like leave her child with her mother, I found myself disliking her throughout much of the novel. While I understood some of her choices and I can't even say that I wouldn't have made similar ones in the same desperate situation, I still couldn't get past her selfishness and her feelings that she was a victim. It wasn't until the end of the novel, when Verna became a grandmother, that I found myself warming up to her again.

One of the main reasons that I was drawn to this story was that I was very interested in the history of Harrisburg and especially the capital expansion project.  I loved it when there was mention of a place that was familiar to me. (Ironically, some of the characters lived just a few miles away from me in Mechanicsburg, PA -- I probably drive by the house quite often!) I was appreciated reading all of the insight into the corruption in the Harrisburg government (I guess it's good to know that some things never change!); and I will never look at our beautiful capitol building the same way again because the expansion project displaced many African American families. There is no doubt that this novel was filled with fascinating information for those of us who live in this area. In fact, I was blown away by how much Mr. Taylor knew about the city -- it's obvious that he researched the heck out of Harrisburg while writing this novel.

However, despite my interest in all-things Harrisburg, I did feel like part of the novel (maybe around 40 pages) was kind of bogged down with political background. I understood why the author wanted to include this information, but I felt as if it kind of got away from his grandmother's story. And then I wondered, if it was too much information for me, then how would someone who wasn't from this area feel about all of these details? Just a thought....

THE BLUE ORCHARD was a wonderful book club pick. I think part of the reason is that my book club loved that the story took place in our own backyard; however, we also had a great deal to discuss. In fact, we had some differing opinions on the character of Verna and her role as a victim (which always makes for a fun meeting.) And I think all of would agree that it was one of our best discussions. There is a reading guide available, but we didn't use it -- although we did manage to cover almost all of the questions. Some of the topics you might want to explore include racial relations, the ethics of abortion, mother-child relationships, alcoholism, marriage, and secrets.
 
I found THE BLUE ORCHARD to be a very interesting read. It's an insightful look at the 1940s and 1950s, and it just might make you think about racial relations and the issue of abortion. I definitely recommend it!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this novel.

Review: Cooking for Isaiah

Summary: Cooking for Isaiah is a love story of Silvana Nardone's journey to develop great-tasting meals for her son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy. The results of her efforts found in the pages of this book, are through 135 recipes that are not only easy to make but taste and look delicious, including S'mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce, Double-Decker Toasted Cornbread and Spicy Greens Stack, Chicken and Waffles with Maple Bacon Gravy, Shrimp Pizza with Garlic Cream Sauce, and Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting. You'll also find:

• Silvana's tried-and-tested all-purpose flour and pancake mix recipes
• An ingredient substitutions chart that shows you what to swap if, for example, you need to cook without gluten, but dairy is okay
• Dishes that are perfect for entertaining with friends and family
• Complete pantry set-up
• Food shopping, recipe make-ahead and storage tips

Includes a foreword by Rachael Ray! -- Sprig

As a mother of a child with life-threatening food allergies, I was very interested in the new cookbook COOKING FOR ISAIAH: GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE RECIPES FOR EASY, DELICIOUS MEALS by Silvana Nardone. Even though Booking Son doesn't have a gluten allergy (thank goodness for that!), I still was attracted to the idea of making "real" food without the typical ingredients. Plus, I figured that there would be a few dairy free recipes that I could use.

COOKING FOR ISAIAH is just a wonderful cookbook! I can only imagine how much this cookbook would mean to people with a gluten and/or dairy intolerance. The recipes all look delicious and there are loads of beautiful color photographs (and you know how much I love color photos in a cookbook.) What I found so refreshing about COOKING FOR ISAIAH is that the recipes were ones that I'd actually enjoy making and eating. There weren't too gourmet for my taste and they all seemed relatively simple.

COOKING FOR ISAIAH has so many wonderful recipes (well over 100.) The cookbook is divided into the following sections: the basics; breakfast; starters & salads; soups, rice & pasta; sandwiches & pizza; main dishes; vegetables & sides; and desserts. Pretty standard sections, but they do cover what most of us need in a cookbook! There is even a foreward by Rachael Ray. I found that the main dishes section was probably the one that most appealed to me, but the breakfast one was awesome too.

I have to admit that there weren't a ton of recipes that I could make for Booking Son. Many of the recipes used eggs and some used a lot of eggs. Booking Son is seriously allergic to eggs so that ruled out a lot of the recipes for him -- but not for me! I'm hoping that many of the recipes that weren't primarily egg- based (like some of the desserts) might be able to be modified using an egg replacer.

Since Booking Son eats chocolate chip pancakes on an almost-daily basis, we decided to try the S'mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce. Needless to say, I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I used a store-bought pancake mix as well as an egg replacer, but we did get the general idea. I have to say that the combination of marshmallows and chocolate chips were a big hit in our house. But really, how can you go wrong with S'more Pancakes?

There are quite a few recipes that I want to try including the pumpkin muffins with crumble topping, the grilled peach BBQ chicken wings, and the black bean, corn and yellow rice enchiladas with guacamole and red chile sauce. I also found the pizza section to be interesting . Keep in mind that none of the pizza recipes included any cheese. I have a feeling that I might be turning to this cookbook for some creative pizza ideas as Booking Son gets older and wants to eat pizza like everyone else!

One thing that I really appreciated about this cookbook is that the author designed every recipe to be extremely flexible. For example, she uses a few "master" mixes such as Silvana's all-purpose flour and Silvana's Pancake Mix as the bases for quite a few recipes. If you aren't eating gluten-free, you can still make the recipes and just substitute those ingredients with the traditional flour and pancake mix. She also provides a substitution chart in the front of the book for some of the allergen free ingredients such as rice milk, vegetable shortening, corn or rice pasta, etc. As a result, I think COOKING FOR ISAIAH will appeal to many people -- both those with and without allergies!

Ms. Nardone is the Editor-in-Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray. In addition, she has a fantastic blog called Dish Towel Diaries where she regularly blogs about gluten-free and diary-free recipes. It's obvious to anyone who looks at her blog or her cookbook how much she adores her family. And it's especially obvious how important it is to her that Isaiah (and the rest of the family) eat as normally as possible. Believe me when I tell you how difficult that is to do on a regular basis. I don't know if it's because I could relate to her challenges as a mother, but I really appreciated the introduction of the cookbook. She did a wonderful job of personalizing this book with so many photos of her family as well as their background story. I admit that she got me from the very beginning when she said this:

"I am not a doctor. I am not a nutritionist. I am not a trained chef. I am not a food scientist. I am just a mom who wants to feed her kids."

Thanks to FSB Associates for sending me a review copy of this cookbook.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Kid Konnection: Emily of Deep Valley & Interview with Mitali Perkins

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. Today, I'm going to share with you a delightful book called EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY.

Summary: Emily Webster, an orphan living with her grandfather, is not like the other girls her age in Deep Valley, Minnesota. After graduation, she longs to join the Crowd and go off to college—but she can't leave her grandfather alone at home. Resigning herself to a "lost winter," Emily nonetheless throws herself into a new program of study and a growing interest in the local Syrian community, and when she meets a handsome new teacher at the high school, Emily gains more than she ever dreamed possible. 

Maud Hart Lovelace's only young adult stand-alone novel, Emily of Deep Valley is considered by fans of her beloved Betsy-Tacy series to be one of the author's finest works. -- Harper Perennial Modern Classics

It probably comes as no surprise to many of you that I am a huge fan of Maud Hart Lovelace. I discovered the Betsy-Tacy books last year (thanks to Book Club Girl), and both Booking Daughter and I have enjoyed reading them. So when I found out that Harper Collins was re-issuing a few more of her books this fall, I could barely contain myself. I decided to pick up EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY first, largely because Mitali Perkins (another one of my favorite authors and all-around fabulous person) wrote the foreword -- but more on that later!

Can I just tell you that I absolutely loved EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY? I think it's my favorite Maud Hart Lovelace book so far (although I do hold a special place in my heart for Betsy!) I honestly was expecting to enjoy this novel, but I had no idea just how much I would love it! Ms. Lovelace wrote a wonderful story about a truly memorable character -- Emily, and I can't stop thinking about this novel.

One of the main reasons why this book made such a lasting impression on me was the character of Emily. Emily isn't your typical happy-go-lucky girl who was growing up in the early 1900s. Emily was much more complex than that. She lost her parents and then her grandmother, and she was living with and taking care of her elderly grandfather -- this was all before she even graduated from high school. As a result, Emily felt as if she were different than her classmates, and often times, she was left out of their fun activities.

When EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY begins, Emily is preparing for her graduation from high school. Since she feels responsible for the care of her grandfather, she can't attend college like most of her classmates and friends. To be quite honest, her future didn't look very optimistic My heart truly went out to Emily because in so many ways, her life was so unfair. Even though I respected her for sacrificing so much, I still wanted her to have the opportunity to be "normal."

I actually loved how Emily was portrayed in this novel. She definitely had feelings of resentment and guilt, and I found her reactions to be very realistic. At one point in the novel, it was clear that Emily was suffering from some pretty serious depression. And I have to admit that I was rather surprised that the author spoke so freely about Emily's feelings in a time when people really didn't talk about depression.

Now before you think this book is a total downer, I have to tell you what I liked best about this novel. I mentioned before how much I loved Emily and it wasn't just because I felt bad for her. Emily was truly a remarkable girl because of how she dealt with the setbacks in her life. As her friends were having fun at college (and writing her less and less), she realized that she didn't have as much in common with them anymore. Some girls might have given up, but Emily made new friends and started creating her own social life. In addition (and perhaps more importantly), Emily learned that she still had so much to offer people despite not being able to continue her education. She discovered her passion for helping others in need and found ways to make actual  improvements in their lives. EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY was truly a heartwarming story about a very special girl who overcame her obstacles and truly made a difference.

What truly amazes me about Maud Hart Lovelace's books, and especially EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY, is how applicable they are in today's world. EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY was first published in 1950 and actually takes place almost a century ago, yet Emily is still a character who will resonate with many young girls. She experiences feelings of insecurity, guilt, jealousy, love, and loyalty which I'm pretty sure every tween/teen girl can relate to. In addition, EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY delves into some topics that were pretty much taboo when she wrote this book, namely depression and racism. Maud Hart Lovelace was definitely ahead of her time in some ways, and she had the special ability to touch readers' lives with her stories.

I highly recommend EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY (and truly all of Maud Hart Lovelace's books.) In fact, I think they are absolutely perfect for tween/teen book clubs and especially mother-daughter ones.

And now for the real treat.... Mitali Perkins, one of my favorite people and also the author of the foreword to EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY, took time from her very busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. I was fortunate enough to meet Mitali last month at the Lititz Kid Lit Festival hosted by Aaron's Books. She was everything I was expecting and more -- she's smart, beautiful, talented, and kind!

Booking Mama: You wrote the foreword to the reissue of EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY -- what an honor! What was your reaction when you were asked?

Mitali Perkins: I was sampling veggie burgers in a Costco aisle when I decided to check my email. My phone uploaded a message from Jennifer Hart of HarperPerennial; here's part of what she wrote:

... I was wondering if you would be interested in writing the foreword to the new edition of Emily of Deep Valley. I’m thrilled to be bringing this one back especially as so many fans cite it as among their favorites of Maud Hart Lovelace's books. I also think it touches on so many interesting themes that are still relevant today ...

I re-read the email, heart racing, tears blurring my eyes. The veggie burger guy watched with a look of concern as I managed to word this response on my iPhone:

Do you know how much I love Emily of Deep Valley? I have re-read it countless times since I discovered it as a newcomer to this country years ago in the Flushing library.

I am honored, thrilled, ecstatic, over-the-top, doing-a-Bollywood-Dance delighted.

I accept with gratitude and humility as I consider Ms. Lovelace's impact on me through the years.

I couldn't believe it! I wanted a time machine so I could find nine-year-old Mitali scouring the Flushing Public Library shelves for anything Maud Hart Lovelace. I'd love to tell that little version of me this amazing news! 

Booking Mama: Like so many writers, you fell in love with Maud Hart Lovelace's books as a child. Did these books influence you as an author? If so, how?

Mitali Perkins: Here's an excerpt from the foreword where I start to explain how much she influenced me as a child:

Ms. Lovelace's classic novels served as a superb orientation for a newcomer eager to understand the history and heritage of a new world. They took me back to the early 1900s, a time when America shared many of the values that resonated in my old-world home, but they also sparkled with timeless humor that made me laugh out loud on the fire escape.

I did love the values Mrs. Lovelace felt free to share in her novels--strong friendships, familial tenderness, loyalty, love, laughter, and faith. But also, first and foremost, Mrs. Lovelace mastered the art of good storytelling. To uplift and entertain--how I want to be remembered as a writer able to do both!

Booking Mama: Do you have a favorite Maud Hart Lovelace book from your childhood? Is there a particular character that resonated with you?

Mitali Perkins: By far, Emily is my favorite character, and EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY is my favorite book. Why? Because while I was delighted to know Betsy, Tacy, Tib, Carney, and Winona as dear friends, Emily was ... me, with her desire to find love, a battle with loneliness and sadness, her commitment to do her duty, and a dream of helping those less fortunate.

Booking Mama: When you read these books again as an adult, what was your reaction? Was it similar to when you were a child or was it an entirely different experience?

Mitali Perkins: I re-read EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY every winter, and each time I see something new. The book's subtle message (to "muster your wits; stand in your own defense") continues to inspire me as I apply it in fresh ways to my changing life. But it also is the same comfort fare as when I first read it, and I'm always a bit sad when the story ends.

Booking Mama: Unfortunately, I never experienced Maud Hart Lovelace's books as a child. However, my daughter and I are recent converts and just love these books! Why do you think Maud Hart Lovelace's books are still relevant today?

Mitali Perkins: First, Mrs. Lovelace understood girls. I've crossed cultures all around the planet, and see so many things girls share across geographical borders--tears and laughter, joy and sorrow. The same is true across time--we girls have always loved our friends and families, dreamed big dreams, and, last but not least, enjoyed flirting with guys. Second, Mrs. Lovelace created characters who dance off the pages of her novels into our hearts. They are unforgettable! We care about their adventures as if they were our own. And third, she created a wonderful sense of place. I'm heading to Mankato, Minnesota next year for the first time to visit the Betsy-Tacy Society in person, and I know that town will feel like home, thanks to one of my favorite authors' skillful pens.

Can I just express what an honor it was to interview Mitali Perkins about EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY? It's evident to me that this novel resonated with Mitali and holds a special place in her heart. I hope my review convinced you that you must read EMILY OF DEEP VALLEY, but if you are still on the fence, then I know Mitali's interview answers will push you right over the edge!

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this novel.

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