Dear Reader

Dear Reader Column 01-31-17

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.

 

Dear Reader,

Swiss Vendetta is author Tracee de Hahn's debut mystery, and we're fortunate to have her as today's guest author. Swiss Vendetta is set in a raging ice storm near Lausanne, and is drawn from her years living in Switzerland with her Swiss-Canadian husband.

Tracee said she would love to hear from readers. So please do welcome this new author to the book club. Tracee's email is: [email protected]

Tracee writes...

Creativity. In the kitchen and in writing

Pasta puttanesca, chicken saltimbocca, chicken Mughlai, and chicken vol-au-vent. Recently I've prepared a few favorite recipes and discovered new ones. At the same time, I've been mulling themes and plots for my next novel and noticing the similarities between these endeavors.

Cooking is a process, each dish is selected for a reason--pasta puttansesca is quick and perfect for a dinner when short on time. Chicken saltimbocca isn't difficult and, as the name implies, causes flavors to jump in the mouth. Chicken Mughlai needs time to allow the flavors to meld and sauce to caramelize. Vol-au-vent is a fussy dish, but it makes a good show on the table. Same thing with writing. Some ideas are a puttanesca or saltimbocca. They are full of force (and flavor) but don't require a lengthy commitment. You can have the same experience writing: a story arc complete in a few pages. A short story. In cooking and in writing, detail is important. Leave out capers in puttanesca or sage in saltimbocca and the dish falls flat. With the right spices the simple dishes are full of zest and the taste buds (and your guests) are as happy as if they'd had a five-course meal.

Other dishes require more time. There are more flavors to develop, they need to combine and fully evolve. I tasted my Chicken Mughlai about an hour into the process and it was good, but not great. Too much saffron. Then I realized it was because I had forgotten to add cardamom and nutmeg for balance. It was like having a hero with no flaws. Or a 500 page novel missing a substantive subplot.

When I finished the old fashioned domed vol-au-vent and set it on the center of the table I felt like I was aiming for a Nobel prize. The appearance of the dish was lovely--a light golden crust embellished with all sorts of pastry shapes. Opened, it was even better. The sauce was complex and perfect, the chicken moist and tender. I was basking in the reflected glory of a long tradition of French cuisine. If this was a novel, it would be chasing Victor Hugo or Tolstoy, those greats who showcased the themes of their day, binding hundreds of compelling characters together in an ambitious storyline. Perhaps not for everyday reading while sitting on the commuter train but, then neither was my vol-au-vent. Too rich for every day, but every once in a while a decadent pleasure.

--Tracee de Hahn

Tracee answers her mail, so please do say hello.
Email [email protected]

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: THE ROAD TO ENCHANTMENT (Fiction) by Kaya McLaren

Bad things happen in threes: Willow's mother dies, she gets dumped, and she discovers she's pregnant. Reluctantly, she returns to her childhood home, a failed New Mexico winery bordering an Apache reservation where the community seems to think she belongs far more than she ever imagined.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on THE ROAD TO ENCHANTMENT to find out more about the book and the author, Kaya McLaren. Send her an email, she'd love to hear from you.

Dear Reader Column 01-30-17

AUTHORBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.

 

Dear Reader,

Yes the day of love, hearts, roses and oodles of chocolate might be two weeks away, but my dining room looks like there's a party ready to roll this evening. I've invited my family to come to dinner on Valentine's Day, but I decided to decorate ahead of time. Seemed like such a shame for Snoopy and his "Be Mine" hearts to be hanging down from the ceiling for only one day, and then it's over--time to take everything down. Besides, when you start celebrating Valentine's Day two weeks ahead of time, it gives you the green light to start indulging in chocolate, too.

So get ready to indulge, I have the perfect chocolate delight for you to make this Valentine's Day. Charity, a reader at the book club, tried the recipe a couple of years ago, and she and her husband give it a "thumbs-up."

"Suzanne, I printed your Chocolate Lava Cakes email out YEARS ago, and have been hanging onto it, waiting for someone special to make them for. I held onto it through several boyfriends, and even a husband, without making them. Then I got a heart shaped ramekin in a silent auction, and knew what to make for my part of [this year's] Valentine's Day dinner.

The evening went perfectly. I had made the batter and put it into the darling dishes two days earlier, so all I had to do was pop them in the oven and have a perfect dessert. That was, of course, the plan.

We were both running late, dinner was late, the kids were getting irritable (one was getting sick) and we were exhausted by the time my husband got the kids in bed, and we sat down to dinner. We had a lovely dinner and then it was time for my grand finale.

I heated the oven and popped them in. When they were ready, I took them out and (tried) to very gently pop one out onto the plate. It flew out of the ramekin and splattered on the plate...lava running all over the plate with no room for my planned scoop of ice cream, delicately placed in the middle, so you got the hot and the cold sensations at the same time! I almost lost it. He came in to help me and I suddenly had the need to do it 'All by my ownself.' I tried mightily to hold the blazing hot ramekin and the plate I wanted it on with the giant oven mitts I had on...only to almost drop the entire thing on the floor. He gently took the whole thing out of my hands, gave me new potholders, and held the plate while I flipped the ramekin. The cake popped out perfectly, and we took them to the couch to snuggle and indulge in your fabulous dessert.

It was a perfect Valentine's Day--and a lesson in patience and accepting help for me."--Charity

You'll find the Lava Cake recipe at: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nl/users/susandemo/mweb/path2-3.html

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

AUTHORBUZZ: RISE (NonFiction) by Cara Brookins

My four kids and I live in a house we built with our own hands. But since my real jobs have been as a computer programmer and an author, you'd probably never guess we became a construction crew. We built our house because we needed a place to live after leaving a terrible domestic violence situation. And we built it because we needed a big impossible project to rebuild our family.

Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on RISE to read more and to email author Cara Brookins, you'll get a reply.

Dear Reader Column 01-27-17

Dear Reader,

You'll find joy in an umbrella. Open an umbrella and give it to someone standing in the rain, it's as simple as that. This past Monday's column about my rainy day adventures inspired new "rainy day ambassadors."

Readers who are anxiously waiting for it to rain...

"It is raining here in Naples, and I am wondering if you are out handing out umbrellas up in your area. What a wonderful idea...when I get back home, I am going to gather all my extra umbrellas, and put them in the car for handing out on a rainy day to those who are standing in the rain. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas."--Sarah D.

Hi Suzanne, I've been a Mystery subscriber for several years. I LOVED your story about giving away umbrellas. I will do the same here in NYC. Thanks very much for the inspiration!"--Leslie

"Last year while driving home we saw a young man walking in the rain, we stopped and gave him our umbrella. Since then I have purchased several umbrellas, and on rainy days look for those needing umbrellas. What a privilege to be able to give..."--Pat B.

"What a wonderful thing to do. Raining here in southern Ohio so it was an appropriate [column] for today. Don't have a lot of opportunity to give away umbrellas, but I will pick up a couple spares to carry in the car, just in case I am out and about and should see someone who could use one. How happy it must make you and your husband feel when you are able to give this type of aid."--Dawn

"What a fun thing to do! {Hand out umbrellas on a rainy day.} And for me to read about it on a rainy Monday! You prove it's the little things that make such a difference in others' lives. If only there were more Suzannes out there--just think of what the world would be like. Keep it up, good lady!"--Susan J.

Congratulations to the umbrella giveaway winner, Leigh H., our new rainy day ambassador. Email and let us know Leigh, if you had the opportunity to help someone out on a rainy day.

And congratulations to the winners of Victoria by Daisy Goodwin; Louis C., Wendy B., Bernadine D. and Cherie W.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-26-17

 

Dear Reader,

I don't plan on exiting for a number of years. But while it's on my mind, I've decided to add one, final, personal request to my will. I don't want to be directing my funeral from the grave, my family can really do what they want--whatever helps bring them solace. Bury me and plop a headstone down to acknowledge I was here, I don't need anything fancy.

But the one thing I do ask, is that somewhere along the process, as part of remembering me, my friends and family rent a dance floor, haul it to the cemetery, plop it down next to my gravesite, crank up the music, and sing "Twist and Shout" along with the Beatles...

"Well, shake it up, baby, now (Shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout (Twist and shout)
C'mon C'mon, C'mon, C'mon, baby, now (Come on baby)
Come on and work it on out (Work it on out)"

...and of course everyone is doing the twist.

I'm sure it would be a head-turning sight at the cemetery, maybe even a first. My hope is that mourners would be smiling and laughing, while they're singing and twisting, remembering crazy, unpredictable me. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my life, because I experience the best part of life when I let myself go, and I dive into uninhibited, crazy, silly fun...

...and of course--there will be bubbles.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read (and twist) with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-25-17

 

Dear Reader,

Sometimes what I need is a good cry, but it's difficult to get the waterworks going, even though I believe crying is a healthy release. I can't take all the blame for trying to stop the tears from falling, because in most circles it's not acceptable. Sure, when you get the bad news you can excuse yourself, go to another room and cry. But if wailing is heard through the walls, you'll have cleared the room, which is unfortunate, because crying makes you stronger and could help you stay slim and trim--at least it would, if I were in charge of the world.

Just imagine if our tears of joy, and weeping in sadness also shed pounds. Now stay with me, on that thought because if I can sell you on the idea, the next time you feel like crying, you'll be excited and let loose. Really, I'm not kidding, this concept doesn't have to be a food fairy tale, because the "experts" say if you tell yourself something enough times, you start to believe it and your body does, too.

Hallelujah, I'm a believer! So I'm preaching today that you can ignore the calorie food labels and charts, because crying for only five minutes burns up a pork chop, mashed potatoes, green peas, and a piece of wheat bread with soft butter spread out to the edges. Can you taste it now Sister?

Dessert? If you want a piece of pie, that's gonna be extra--start crying! Whipped topping on it? You're gonna have to wail, but it'll be worth it.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-24-17

Dear Reader,

Today's guest author, Abby Fabiaschi, is a human rights advocate and board chair for Her Future Coalition, an international nonprofit with a unique prosperity model that uplifts victims from human trafficking and extreme abuse. In 2012 Abby resigned from her executive post in high tech to pursue a career in writing. I Liked My Life, is her first novel.

Abby is excited and ready to reply to your emails, so please welcome her to the book club and when you send an email you're also entered in the giveaway. Two copies of I Liked My Life are waiting to send to book club readers. Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the book club Abby Fabiaschi...

My children are 11 months apart; no one does that on purpose. When my son came along, my daughter was unimpressed. She'd stand at the door for hours a day, pointing outside, stomping her foot, and yelling, "Bye, bye baby. Mommy, put baby bye bye."

Now they don't remember a single moment without the other.

It's funny how change is that way: at the frontend--the bottom of the mountain--you can't imagine ever forgetting how grueling the climb was, but then--after cresting that final peak and looking down--you know it's the amazing view you'll remember.

Pregnancy is another example where the outcome overshadows the agony (unless you're one of those women who glow the full nine months while a perfect little basketball pops from your belly and the rest of your body remains the same, which I was not).

For me, writing also fits in that bucket.

When my son was three, I overheard him talking to other preschoolers. "My mommy is a teacher," a tall girl said.

"Mine's an attorney," another one piped in.

It was my son's turn: "My mom writes books but nobody reads them."

At the time, I had every reason to believe that would always be the case, publishing odds being what they are. Rejection had become something that arrived every morning by mail or email to be digested along with my tea. It was with total astonishment that I learned from my agent I LIKED MY LIFE would go to auction with four major imprints.

There's a manuscript titled Last to Laugh on my computer that will never be bound or sold, more versions of I LIKED MY LIFE than I care to admit, and rejections, so many rejections (I was once fired by my own agent, something I didn't even know to worry about until it happened). But, now, here I am looking back at the climb with gratitude and nostalgia, my hardcover debut in hand, wondering if it'd feel as amazing if it hadn't been hard won. What makes great moments great is the grit it takes to achieve.

--Abby Fabiaschi

Please email Abby, say hello, and when you do you'll be entered in the giveaway for a copy of her debut book, I Liked My Life.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

 

Dear Reader Column 01-23-17

Dear Reader,

My husband and I love rainy days. When it rains, we get in the car and head out because--we're on a mission--which guarantees to bring us and someone else joy.

Our rainy day adventures started by chance one day. We were driving, it started raining, and we noticed a woman standing at a bus stop. There wasn't any covered bench and she was getting soaked. She was wearing a uniform and we thought she was probably on her way to work. So we did a U-turn and drove back to the bus stop. I got out of the car, ran over to the woman and handed her a colorful umbrella, already popped open and ready to go.

I still remember her smile. She was so grateful and gave us a "God bless you angels." Who knew giving someone an umbrella could be so much fun. So now we carry at least three extra umbrellas in our car. If you'd like to be an 'umbrella angel' enter today's giveaway. If you win the umbrella and you give it away on a rainy day, please do let me know. Enter, http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring, but my husband and I are on our umbrella assignment.

* Congratulations to the winners of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Guest Author Kathleen Rooney: Maureen W., George J., Pat H., Cheryl V., and Gayle S.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-20-17

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.

 

Dear Reader,

I was enthralled from page one and kept turning the pages for an hour, before I came up for air. Victoria, by Daisy Goodwin is an outstanding novel. I loved it. So of course I'm giving books away today.

From the book jacket: Drawing on Victoria's diaries as well as her own brilliant gifts for history and drama, Daisy Goodwin, author of the bestselling novels The American Heiress and The Fortune Hunter and creator and writer of the new PBS/Masterpiece drama Victoria, brings the young queen to life in this magnificent novel.

In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria--sheltered, small in stature, and female--became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Many thought it was preposterous: Alexandrina--Drina to her family--had always been tightly controlled by her mother and her household, and was surely too unprepossessing to hold the throne. Yet from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone.

One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria's private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband....

Four copies of Victoria are sitting on my desk waiting to send to readers. Would you like a copy? Someone always wins, go ahead and enter. Go to: http://www.emailbookclub.com/photo/giveaway.html

Congratulations to the winners of the fancy fruit knives, Gertie K., Pat H., Shelia W., Carol W., Terri B. and Mary W. And congratulations to Marlys F., Linda P. and Gail A., winners of The Homecoming, by Guest Author Stacie Ramey.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDS BUZZ: Start the new year off with compelling teen book fun and buzz. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of POISION'S KISS by Breeana Shields. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-19-17

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.

 

Dear Reader,

Samuel, a reader at the book club, sent me an email about my recent "Stand Down" column. I'd written about how when I'm listening to someone talk about a problem or worry they're dealing with, my first inclination is to offer my opinion. But instead, lately I've been telling myself to "Stand down." Samuel agrees with my new strategy...

"Hi, Suzanne

I used to belong to an organization called 'The Samaritans,' known also in some countries as 'Befrienders International.' Volunteers man the phone lines from a fixed location, working in shifts, and what they are supposed to do is to take calls from people who are suicidal, near suicidal, or otherwise going through problems that are causing depression which might eventually lead to suicide.

One of the first principles taught to their volunteers was that they should not offer advice--'do not offer advice.' We were taught that most people already know what they need to do, but they just need to unload--to have someone listen to them. And I know from other personal experience that having someone stop and listen attentively--without speaking--to whatever is bothering you can be very therapeutic.

They also taught that you didn't know the totality of the circumstances, in which the callers found themselves, and it was possible, that because of insufficient knowledge, your advice might do more harm than good.

Just confirming the point of your posting today--listening is very often (most often) more needed than advice, and often more useful as well."--Samuel (Sam)

One of the greatest compliments a book club reader can give me is when they send a note saying that my column made them remember something in their own life, and that's what happened to me today. Thank you so very much Samuel, you made me remember...

One of the toughest, but most rewarding jobs I ever had was all about sitting in a room with someone. I was part of a volunteer program, and once a week I visited terminally ill people in the hospital. I had attended a six-week training course, but nevertheless, I was really nervous the first night I went to do my volunteer work. I assumed that trying to figure out what to say to someone who was dying, would be the tough part of the job, but it wasn't. Actually the most difficult thing was learning how to feel comfortable just sitting in a room with someone, and not talking at all.

When I first walked into someone's room, we'd exchange pleasantries and a bit of small talk. But then most of the people that I visited just really wanted me to sit by them. And if the quiet stretch got too long, or they just felt the need to, they'd talk about what was on their mind: their fears, their concerns, their hopes for how they'd wrap things up before moving on. But most of my job was simply sitting. Sitting in the quiet of the night; no television, no radio, just the occasional loudspeaker page for a nurse or a doctor who was needed somewhere.

Two people, sitting together, keeping each other company and it felt good.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS

Dear Reader Column 01-18-17

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books,
"meet" the authors and enter to win.

 

Dear Reader,

People look at me a bit strange sometimes when I tell them I have five cats. So it was sheer delight and so refreshing (to know I'm not the only one), when I read today's guest column written by author Lydia Reeder.

Lydia says: "I never intended to live with cats. They just ended up hanging around to brighten my days and provide long-lasting friendship. A few years ago, I even created a video on how to make raw cat food. Five cats currently share my household, and most took turns sitting in my lap while I wrote Dust Bowl Girls, my first book.

Lydia would love to hear from you. She replies to her mail, and she has two copies of her book Dust Bowl Girls to give away to book club readers. Enjoy today's guest column and then please do email and say hello. Email: [email protected]

Welcome to the book club, Lydia Reeder...

Searching for Deja vu
By Lydia Reeder

During Fall 2010, my husband and I cared for five kittens and a mother cat we discovered living in a window well. We already had two cats, but we decided to add one more by keeping the mother and finding homes for the kittens.

They were furry cotton-balls of energy. Four boys and one girl, a little runt who wrestled with her brothers to get hold of a teat. She was grey and white, with long, silky fur. An asymmetrical grey-white pattern divided her face. The white side's eye always looked pink and sunburned. A grey mustache dotted her nose, and she looked like a Cubist painting. When she was adopted by a friend of a friend, my heart broke.

A year later, I was nursing my second glass of wine at a holiday party when my friend revealed that, several months ago, her friend had given away the kitten. The little rough and tumble girl was on her own. At first, the news put me in a state of shock. Then, adrenaline-sparked anxiety raced through me like the lit fuse at the opening of a Mission Impossible movie. I had to find her.

I spent the next two weeks searching online databases and contacting animal rescue sites. These futile attempts heightened my fears. She could be starving. She could be dead. Finally, I girded my loins and emailed the person who had first adopted the kitten. To my great surprise and relief, she responded: dropped off at the Dumb Friends League (DFL). I contacted the animal rescue organization, and they searched their files.

"No record," came the response. After hanging up, I sat in tears.

The next day, I decided to click through the DFL adoption website one last time. Each picture of an unwanted cat added to my feeling of loss. It was my fault--I should have never let her go. And then, I saw it--the asymmetrical grey and white face. Her sunburned eye, and mustached nose. Finding her picture felt like a wondrous dream.

I soon discovered that her first caretaker had neglected to spay her, and she had gotten pregnant at seven months old. After giving birth at the DFL, she was adopted and then returned six months later, just in time for me to find her.

The evening of December 17th, 2011, our little crazy-faced girl came home and settled in like she had never left. Because she was so familiar--found, lost, and found again--my husband and I agreed that her name should be Deja vu.

--Lydia Reeder

Email: [email protected] Two copies of Dust Bowl Girls are ready to send to readers. Enter the drawing and say hello.

To see photos of Deja vu, visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=dearreader.com&em=1

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

KIDS BUZZ: Start the new year off with compelling teen book fun and buzz. Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus enter to win a free copy of POISION'S KISS by Breeana Shields. For a chance to win, say hello to the authors and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.

* This month's Penguin Classics book is TOMORROW IS NOW, by Eleanor Roosevelt. Click the link below to start reading, and be sure to enter the drawing for your chance to win a Penguin tote bag: http://www.supportlibrary.com/bc/v.cfm?L=drclassqqxqB1AFE3FA4999&c=CLASSICS