Such a fun event at the Tunkhannock Library last night where the girls read Hershey Herself, got to ask lots of questions, and the librarian served Cheetos (Hershey’s favorite snack in the book!) in tiny paper cups!Thanks so much, Tunkhannock Public Library, for inviting me - and thanks so much to my readers who came out and shared such a wonderful night!!CG
Even without the sweltering heat outside, my house bears all the inside markings of the arrival of summer:
- Damp bathing suits hanging on every available doorknob.
- A bowl of fresh cherries sitting in the middle of the dining room table, their skins as smooth and polished as rubies.
- Remnants of sunscreen behind my baby boy’s ears.
- My little girl’s hair a permanent tangle of seawater, chlorine, salt and wind.
- Wild hydrandrea bushes in full bloom outside the kitchen window; flowers as large around as my hand, white as cotton balls.
- Fruitflies emerging from nowhere, circling lazily overhead, drifting from room to room.
- Frozen, chocolate-dipped banana chunks laid out on sheets of waxed paper in the freezer.
- The smell of sun - a pale, lemony scent - in every single room.
Long may summer reign!
Onward, always.
CG
Mrs. Galante,
I have just finished The Patron Saint of Butterflies and I loved it No, more than loved it. It touched me in a way that few books have. While I loved both of your main characters, I could really relate to Agnes the best. I myself am a very religious person, and while I’ve been blessed with a loving and supportive family, I am also a perfectionist, and I could see myself becoming like Agnes if the circumstances had been different.
Your book is wonderful and I’ve been recommending it to everyone I’ve talked to. I’m going to buy it at the first chance I get, and read it again. It is that good. Thank you for writing it. Just in case you’re curious, though I don’t believe in ’saints’ per se, my favorite one, next to your Agnes, would have to be Joan of Arc.
Anyway, thank you again for the amazing work.
God bless,
Emily