One for my Mama

News on Book 2 of Piper Pan and Her Merry Band:

I’ve been looking at the plot flow—using index cards for scenes/chapters—looking for holes. The good news is I think I understand what’s missing. The bad news is it’s a major piece. Onward goes the writing! I promise it will be worth the wait.

Plotting Cards: Plot by Character

Plotting Cards: Plot by chronology

Meanwhile, the least I can do is keep you in good reading material while waiting for mine to be finished! So here’s one especially for my Mama: New York Times Bestseller, and Newbery Honor Winner, Inside Out & Back Again, by Thanhha Lai.

Why for my Mama? This book is written in an essential language style she will appreciate. My mother is a late-blooming success story, a cross-country (many times over) bicycle rider who began her adventures at age 60.

We who have received her (my mother’s) bike trip logs over the years, have sometimes called them “poetry”—something that makes her squirm. But what other word is there for language that is concise, vivid, elegant, and eloquent? That describes the text of Inside Out & Back Again.

Written as fiction, the book is based on the author’s memories of fleeing Saigon in 1975 as a young girl. She loves papaya. She has three brothers, whose status she resents, but whose qualities she comes to appreciate. Her father is missing, and her mother is drill sergeant, provider, and nurturer rolled into one.

For anyone who has ever lived outside their own culture, it’s a story that brings the edges of life in a new place into sharp focus. (She and her family land in Alabama. Pretty different from Vietnam!) And for anyone who remembers 1975, it’s a story that brings back memories.

Back to my Mama—another plug: In addition to riding, she gives talks about her rides—complete with bike lyrics put to familiar songs—about breaking out beyond the old limits we find ourselves stuck behind. You can visit her website at www.yesithinkican.com.

While you’re there, sign up to receive her 10-day Alaska e-mail trip log. Also, she is embarking on a new trip tomorrow, so you’ll receive that upcoming trip log as well.

As always, happy reading!