Early this morning, I traveled to Ischia, all the while thinking of Elaine. She remains a significant influence in my life, as a reliable book mentor, second only to my Dad. I'll never forget walking into her bookstore and being greeted by, "Nicki, have I got a recommendation for you!" One such day, her excitement resulted from having read THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, prior to its public release. At that time, our young family was headed away for a beach vacation. She insisted that I take her complimentary pre-release with me, citing it as the perfect escapism to share with Jonathan (another day), the surf and the sand.
If I encountered Elaine away from her shop, she always carried a mess of heavy books under one arm, excitedly telling me about the beautiful life she found through their settings and characters. She was relatively well traveled; but let's face it - no one visits three distanced continents in one week. When she was being treated for breast cancer, she not only carried her pile of literature, but was also saddled with a sizable device hanging from her neck. It administered her chemo meds. She had told the docs that there was no time to spare for sedentary treatment.
Elaine would be astounded by my SONY reader and the luxury it affords, allowing a virtual library to be carried in a smaller-than-book-sized device. So, back to this morning. I chose AN ITALIAN AFFAIR as my read-of-the-day. After all, variety is the spice of la bella vita. Wouldn't you agree?
I must download a copy of BRIDGES......but not before I check out Aubrey's illustrated entry, 'cause Junie B. is going to my favorite place of all. Hawai'i, here we come!
