I'm delighted to let you know that the Library Journal has named Loving Eleanor an Indie Ebook of 2016! The reviewer's comment: "Albert deftly writes in Hick’s compelling and opinionated voice and conveys an emotional vantage point that will resonate strongly with romance fans. The happy ending is not traditional. Rather it is found in Hick allowing herself to share her love story at all."
Indeed. I remain profoundly grateful to Lorena Hickok for the courage she showed in preserving the letters that tell the story. The relationship between Eleanor and Hick could so easily have been lost to history, and to us--and so easily denied by those who wanted to "protect" ER. The letters tell the truth, the whole truth.
Homestead report. The potatoes are growing like gangbusters, but I'll have to cover them this weekend. First freeze on the way. The spinach, kale, and onions will be fine. Feeling lucky to have some physical work to keep me focused.
Book report. The copyedited files of The General's Women went off to the formatter yesterday. Big thanks to copyeditor Sandra Spicher for her diligent work. We're on track for March publication. I'll have a cover reveal in a few days, so stay tuned! Not doing creative work yet--that requires a spirit I don't have this week. Grateful for the publishing chores that have to be done and don't need much imagination.
Bright Spots. I want to find ways to join the chorus of opposition in our current national political turmoil. One of the things I can do is be a bearer of better news, highlighting women who are changing the world--our world--by being who they are. Meet Ilhan Omar, a former Somali refugee, a Muslim, a mother of three, and now the first Somali-American lawmaker in the United States.
"I think I bring the voice of young people," Omar says. "I think I bring the voice of women in the East African community. I bring the voice of Muslims. I bring the voice of young mothers looking for opportunities." Minneapolis: kudos to you for saying yes to diversity and no to hatred and bigotry.
Reading note. All our silences in the face of racist assault are acts of complicity.--bell hooks