Hi Friend!

April was a quiet month. Maybe I was still reeling from the struggle of March, maybe my professional and personal life are very full, maybe my brain was overwhelmed with all that is going on in and around me, regardless, in reflecting on April, I realized something. Even in the quiet, growth is happening.

A Time to Recognize the Long Arc of Growth

I don't know how else to put it. In March, I shared with you about how hard writing felt. I'd gotten some feedback that was painful. It took me a few weeks to feel ready to put pen to paper again.

But then in April, I rewrote a story with all that I've learned...and it was so much better.

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I'm working to learn how to run for a race I am very excited to do in the fall. Learning to run is hard--I'm dealing with a lot of bad shoe and painful feet issues. But this isn't my first pass at fitness. I've been lifting weights for about 2 years.

So even though learning to run is hard, my body and lungs and heart feel strong and capable. And my biceps are sweet.

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Finally, I've been working to plant native plants around our yard. I started with small seedlings 2 years ago. They've been scraggly and small, but tended with care. They needed time to set their roots and grow strong.

This spring (in their third spring) they are sprouting vigorously. I am anticipating a line of beautiful blooming native flowers this summer.

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Growth takes time. So much happens below the surface, under the cover, and over time. I get impatient to see the fruit (or the blossom), when really, I need that quiet time to grow well. I need time to set strong roots, to learn writing craft, to build muscle tone, to be quiet.

I imagine it's true for you as well. I'd love to hear and share your stories of long growth. Have you a long tended native flower patch to share with us (with a picture)? Have you toiled at something for a long time only to finally get the result and have it be better than you imagined?

I think the hardest part of growth is that it just takes a looooooong time to see fruit. I get discouraged when I think I'm just doing the same thing over and over. So in the middle of quiet seasons, your stories will encourage all of us towards the long arc of growth.

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A Book Worth Talking About

April was another slow reading month, but for my book club I read (and surprisingly enjoyed) Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi. I say surprisingly, because I thought that I didn't really like Historical Fiction.

What I really liked about this was a picture into a time/culture/historical event that I knew nothing about. This book is about a young girl, Sitara, who lives through a coup in her home in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978. As a member of a family close to the President, she experiences deep loss. Later in life, as an adult, she grapples with the consequences of the unresolved trauma.

While I didn't always love the way the novel threw in a lot of flashbacks into the current narrative, I did love and sympathize with Sitara, her struggles, and her eventual (and gradual) healing.

Upon reflection, the part of historical fiction I don't like is basically the idea of it. Or reading too much of the same story. I find that the Historical Fiction books I like the best are almost always centered in Asia. Maybe because they are stories I don't know. Maybe it's because it is a peek into a different culture.

This story was unlike any other narrative I've read and I found it well worth the time. I can only think of one other book I've read set in Afghanistan and I appreciated the opportunity to unpack its history from my more recent understanding of it.

This book will be an interesting one to discuss and I look forward to what the women in my book club think of it.

Since this book is Historical Fiction, let's chat about how you enjoy it. do you have a favorite book, era, place or culture that you enjoy reading? I'd love to hear about it.

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Remembering & Looking Ahead

Next month, I am thrilled to be featuring some books written and released by friends of mine (I have four I'm going to highlight.) But I would love to include a list of books that you/someone you love/personally know has written and published and are willing to recommend to others.

May marks the 2 year anniversary of the publication of my novel The Unfortunate Life of Genevieve Ryder. I have lots of thoughts about what it means to have published, what I would do again/differently, and what I hope for in the future. If you are a person who purchased, read, recommended, or reviewed my book in any way, THANK YOU for support and love.

(Not to be shameless in self-promotion, but the book is still available from me personally or from Amazon. Don't have your own copy yet? I'd love to sell you one.)

Visit Sammy's Website

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I can't wait to hear about your favorite historical novels, your friends' books or the way you have seen growth happen over time in your life. Let's celebrate these good things together!

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