Winter Newsletter, 2023
Elayne Klasson
It is colder and grayer—even here in beautiful Santa Barbara. And it is definitely the time of lights—whatever holiday you are celebrating—it involves lights! My two and a half year old grandson has been agog.
This colder weather makes me even more enthusiastic about my favorite activities: reading and writing. I’ll address writing later and give an update about my new novel, The Earthquake Child.
But first, let me talk about reading. There are many, many end-of-year recommended reading lists. And, I’m not anyone famous—so you can ignore mine. However, I’m going to throw my hat into the ring and talk about a few books that made my 2023 fuller and happier. I know that without books, which have been my trusty friends since childhood, my life would be much lonelier. And don’t forget to order from your independent bookstore or from bookshop.org, so we keep our indies alive.
Books I Loved in 2023
Here are a few recent book favorites, in no particular order.
Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake. This is a beautiful mother/daughter book. I read it on a family vacation with my daughter and kept stealing glances at her as we read side-by-side near the sea. It didn’t hurt that my daughter is a veterinarian and one of the daughters in the novel is a veterinary student. It’s also a Covid book—with the three twenty-something daughters coming home to isolate with their parents on the family cherry farm. I loved that two of my favorite plays are referenced in the book: Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. It also doesn’t hurt that Meryl Streep gorgeously narrates the audio.
Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light. This conclusion of Mantel’s trio of historical novels about Thomas Cromwell got me from the first page. There are A LOT people in the court of Henry XIII to keep track of—but the late Mantel thoughtfully provided a cast of characters at the beginning. (It is easier to flip back to this with a real book—e-readers are not as convenient.) Mantel won Booker Prizes with the first two of the series, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, but I found this, the conclusion, every bit as riveting as the first two. I will miss Hilary Mantel, who is gone too soon.
Lore Segal’s Ladies Lunch. Lore Segal is 95 years old (!) and writes about women in their 80s and 90s. This made me feel young. Like all authors who keep on working, defying their age—she gives me hope and encouragement to keep on. I loved these linked short stories—many of which first appeared in The New Yorker. The characters are delightful and tell grand stories about friendship, aging and lives well lived.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It’s been ten years since the brilliant Verghese wrote Cutting for Stone. In this new door stopper of a book, he takes us to the south of India. I learned about Malabar and Cochin and a family curse of drowning. All of this is overlaid with Dr. Verghese’s medical knowledge and stories from multiple generations of an unforgettable family. I never mind reading a long book like this so I can remain in the company of these delightful characters.
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. This is an older book (1995) which won the Pulitzer Prize that year. I revisited it this year. It’s great to revisit old favorites and see if they hold up. This emphatically did. It’s a deceptively simple book—telling us about one woman who didn’t do anything terribly remarkable—but was remarkable for just that! Shield’s documents a woman from her birth to death and helps us appreciate the life of one ordinary woman. I just applied for the Carol Shield Prize for women writers. Wish me luck!
You’ll Forget This Ever Happened by Laura L. Engel is the only non-fiction on the list. It was written by sister writer from She Writes Press and I treasured this book because it is the other side of my own adoption novel. Engel’s memoir tells about her experiences and shame in a home for unwed mothers in the 1960s.
On Thursday, March 14, 2023, I’ll be speaking and moderating a panel co-sponsored by the San Jose Assistance League and Northern California Brandeis. More about this event later, but put March 14 on your calendars. One of the guests is Robert Dugoni. A wonderful writer, I recommend The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. Dugoni formerly wrote crime novels and has made a switch to beautifully crafted character-driven novels. My friend Jo, a great reader, also recommends Dugoni’s The World Played Chess.
Now that I’ve foisted my favorite reads of 2023 on you, I’ll say a bit more about writing.
Launch
The launch for The Earthquake Child in June was great fun with friends coming from near and far. I have been so appreciative of the support of readers who have attended book store events and many, many book groups—even as far away as the George Washington House in Barbados (where I once lived). For several events, our local sweetshop, Solvang Bakery, made terrific book cakes. Cake and book talk was a terrific match up.
Audiobook
Finally, I am proud and happy to announce that the audio book for The Earthquake Child is about to be heard and released. The incomparable Kimberly Wetherell did a wonderful job narrating from her Brooklyn studio. (Kimberly also narrated Love is a Rebellious Bird.) It should be available by the beginning of the year from Spotify, Audible or wherever you get your audiobooks. Stay tuned. I hope you like the listen and please let me know your reactions.
I’d Like To Hear From You
I want to say one more thing about reactions. When I wrote this adoption novel, I knew that it is an emotional topic. For adoptees, those who have relinquished a child, as well as adoptive parents, the book portrays scenes that bring out very intense feelings. As I have toured with the book, I have sometimes felt inadequate to deal with the raw emotions being expressed. When people shared their own adoption experiences as well as experiences with behavioral problems and addiction in their families, they were giving me a precious gift. I love these events and I am available by Zoom or in-person for book group discussions. I am filled with hope at the strength we have as humans to overcome pain and adversity and still love one another. I hope that this coming year will demonstrate some of that grace in the world.
Please let me know your reactions at elayneklasson@gmail.com or leave comments on my website: elayneklasson.com. Better yet, please put your thoughts (I hope they are 5 star) in an Amazon review….reviews are a great encouragement to writers....no matter how many stars!
Also, one more request. We all love libraries. Asking your local library to carry Love is a Rebellious Bird and The Earthquake Child as well as the audiobook for each is a gift that keeps giving.
Happy New Year to all and thanks for reading!