Tag: reading

How to Share a Ghost Story

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“Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.” – Dalai Lama

Book collector Harry Elkins Widener was 27-years-old when he stood on the deck of the Titanic and urged his mom to get on a lifeboat. He said he needed to go back to get a rare and precious book. He was never seen again and no book was ever found.

Here’s what I love about how we share. That story has persisted in the 113 years since the Titanic went down because it was shared. It lives on because Harry Elkins Widener’s mom built a library for him at Harvard complete with Memorial Rooms that house his desk and shared his rare book collection. I know of the story because the talented novelist Alyson Richman heard the story, did an immense amount of research, and then shared it in the form of her delightful latest historical novel, The Missing Pages. We humans really are amazing at our ability to share knowledge, stories, and legacy in so many ways.

On the latest episode of the How to Share podcast, Vicki Atkinson and I had the great fortune to talk with Alyson Richman about her incredible book, The Missing Pages. She tells us how she heard the story of Harry Elkins Widener from her daughter and was inspired to write this book.

Alyson has the amazing ability to inhabit the time periods she writes about – and they are different for each of her 12 bestselling novels. She tells us about her research process and how her insatiable curiosity helps to drive her storytelling and writing.

We talk about the unexpected gifts in writing. In this case, the story her daughter, Charlotte, brought home from a Harvard Campus tour. Alyson reminds us that you have to be open to receive unexpected gifts and the goodness that flows from them.

Alyson has done that beautifully in this book, embodying both the mother and son’s viewpoint as well as the rich historical context in her gripping story. It’s a ghost story, mystery, bibliophile adventure, and love-story all wrapped up in one delicious book.

This is a wonderful conversation with an incredible author about a fantastic book. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways

  • Alyson Richman’s novel ‘The Missing Pages’ is inspired by a true story.
  • The book intertwines the past and present through a ghost narrative.
  • Richman emphasizes the importance of being open to unexpected gifts.
  • Her research process involves extensive historical exploration.
  • The themes of grief and memory are central to her storytelling.
  • Richman’s characters are deeply developed and emotionally engaging.
  • Historical facts serve as building blocks for her narratives.
  • Richman is currently working on a new novel about Edith Wharton.

Here’s Alyson talking about her inspiration:

Here are some ways you can watch this great episode:

Links for this episode:

How to Share a Ghost Story with Alyson Richman transcript

The Missing Pages on Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Alyson Richman’s website

From the Hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: Surviving Sue; Blog: https://victoriaponders.com/

My book about my beloved father: Finding My Father’s Faith

How to Share Patience

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“Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens

I love story time at night. Having 6-year-old and 10-year-old kids means that most evenings for the past 10 years, we’ve read a children’s book at bedtime. As they’ve gotten older, it’s been so heart-warming to hear them start to read the books aloud to me.

No matter what has happened in the day or what is scrolling across the news feed, this ritual has meant we end the day centered around messages like acceptance, kindness, sharing, love, or gratitude.

For example, I would guess that most people who spend five minutes with Good Night Moon feel the calmness that comes with the simple practice of saying good night to what’s around combined with the lovely rhythm. Even as the books get more sophisticated, they usually come with an uplifting message that is good for both kids and adults.

This is certainly true with Christine Devane’s book Elephant Beach. Vicki Atkinson and I were lucky enough to talk with Christine on the How To Share podcast about this terrific tale of patience and appreciating our differences.

Christine tells us what in her childhood made her want to write this book. She also shares how it applies to her young kids now. We learn how she brings this inspiring message to classrooms to enchant young audiences and what she hopes adults will take away from this beautiful book.

This is such a heartwarming episode that speaks to how we show up for each other. We know you’ll love it.

Takeaways

  • Christine Devane’s book ‘Elephant Beach’ promotes kindness and social skills.
  • The story features a shy girl who learns to embrace fun and friendship.
  • Elephants symbolize social connection and humor in the book.
  • The book encourages children to step out of their comfort zones.
  • Patience is essential for understanding shy children.
  • Parents should be supportive and patient with their shy kids.
  • Every child has a unique personality and needs different encouragement.
  • The importance of inviting others to join in activities is highlighted.

Here’s Christine talking about Elephant Beach:

Here are some ways you can listen and watch this heart-warming episode:

Please listen, watch, provide feedback and subscribe.

Transcript for How to Share Patience

Links for this episode:

⁠Christine Devane’s ⁠website

⁠Elephant Beach⁠ on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Archway Publishing

From the hosts:

Vicki’s book about resilience and love: ⁠Surviving Sue⁠; Blog: ⁠https://victoriaponders.com/⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠;

(featured photo from Pexels)

The Flip Side of Writing

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“You think your pains and your heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive.” – James Baldwin

I think I’ve been ruminating for the past week or so about the idea of reading ever since I saw Davy D’s post What Kind of Reader Are You? Because when I woke up yesterday morning with no idea what I’d write about for my Wise & Shine post today, it popped in my head that what we all have in common on this platform is that we are readers.

Given the descriptions Davy provides, I relate to being a Skim Reader. When I was talking about this with my dear friend, she told me her husband who reads so thoroughly that the Kindle estimates about how much time is left to read a book actually go UP the longer he reads. They joke that the author must still be writing when her husband reads.

But whatever kind of reader we are, we create a space that we inhabit, even if briefly, with the author. My post today for Wise & Shine reflects on what a gift that is: The Ultimate Reader.