Well, I have exciting news to report -- Booklist, an American Library Association publication, has given What World Is Left a starred review. And if you'll permit me to quote what the reviewer, Hazel Rochman, had to say... she called the book "heartbreaking" and described it as "an important contribution to the Holocaust curriculum." YIPPEE!! Then last night, I learned frommy publisher that Booklink has added What World Is Left to their Editor's Picks for 2008. YIPPEE ALL OVER AGAIN!!
I am so pleased by all this news, that, to be honest, it is a little difficult to sit still and write!! Also, I have to admit that our local newspaper, The Gazette, did not give the book a very good review this weekend. So, what I really want to say is the writing life, certainly my writing life, has its shares of ups and downs. You have to weather the downs and enjoy the ups... which is what I'm trying to do here. And now, I've got a few hours to do some writing, so I'm going to make myself a cup of green tea and forget about the business of writing, and get down to what I love most of all: telling a story. Have a good afternoon wherever you are. If you're weathering a down, keep the faith, take care of yourself, see things through... and remember that down times make for the very best stories.