You all gave me such great reading recs (I will report on them in February like a good girl) that I must return the favor.
I’m ordering you to your local independent book store to buy Dear Zoe.
It’s set in Pittsburgh and features the story of a teen-ager (Tess) who is dealing with the death of her three year old sister, Zoe. Zoe happened to die on 9/11 when Tess happened to let Zoe go unsupervised for a few moments that day…
I read the whole thing in one sitting. Not because I had to. I couldn’t put it down. Tess is an amazing character who exudes so much of what I felt as a teenager, but fear as a parent. READ THIS THING.
The subject matter might be heavy on one hand, but it leaves you feeling Tess and her family will all be okay. Her hair and shower habits are hilarious. Any woman can identify.
Now, for all of you “gonna-be” writers, Philip’s tale of getting Dear Zoe published is almost as moving as the book itself. Go to his site, www.philipbeard.net to link to interviews and his publishing story.
Also, he’s agreed to answer our questions that haven’t been answered in the interviews linked to his site. So, if there’s anything you want to know, post your questions or comments here and he’ll get back to us. A real treat.
So, go out and get this…it’s not in the teen section…it’s in the fiction section of the book store and let me know what you think.
PEOPLE, BUY THIS BOOK. IT WILL BE WORTH YOUR WHILE.
I know, I know. I’ve been meaning to, and this is the push I need. I will put it on top of my 16 or so books to read. And he’s from the ‘burgh. How sweet is that?
Update: I bought it, I read it in 3 days and loved it. It’s been a while since I read his site, but I’ll take a look again and see if there are any other questions I’d like to ask. What an inspiration and what a great storyteller!
I LOVED IT!!!! I am Becoming a Teenager myself and this book Really shows the value of life.