We were guests at a book club in Virginia Beach yesterday. As
we sat in a circle and listened to members discussing the characters in Becoming Finnigan and the choices they
made, I realized that Joel Finnigan, Althea Burnside and Susanna Winslow had
become real to people besides Tony and me.
Not only that, some book club members were reminded of their
own experiences and of people they had known in their lives.
Writing a book is a solitary experience. Even though we collaborated, it was solitary
in the sense that it was ours exclusively.
Joel Finnigan, Althea Burnside and Susanna Winslow spoke only to
us. Now that Becoming Finnigan is published, their lives are there to be
examined by anyone who takes an interest in them and in the history that helped
shape them.
In writing Becoming
Finnigan we explored the impact of historical events on people’s lives and
choices and the impact people have on each other’s lives. Listening to a group
of booklovers discuss these things makes all the effort of writing the book and
finding a publisher worthwhile.
We hope this is the first of many book club visits.