For The Love Of Books

Wise Readers, 

Have you ever loved a book?  A series?  An author?  Felt that he or she was part of your life without ever having met? Perhaps all Readers know that love.  I do.  My daughter does.  My 11-year-old has fallen in love with the words of British author Toby Forward, but after reading Dragonborn, she found that the other books in the series hadn’t yet been published in America and she was sad not to be able to read them.  

She wrote him fan mail this fall, and he answered with kindness and warmth and genuineness—and then he signed his books and shipped them from his home in London to ours in Austin as a Christmas surprise.  

Here’s the 1-and-1/2 minute video of my girl opening the gift~I think you’ll agree she was surprised.    If you watch, please be sure to watch to the end.  

Have you ever loved a book like that?  

I sent Toby this note: 

Dear Toby,

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Look what you did:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B7e_N8L72IQEaE1sTFB3YWRzNjQ

Julia didn’t even realize you’d signed the books until almost the end of the video.  Think of it…she was *that* excited by your books. When she saw you had signed them, she nearly cried.

You are a saint.  Or very close to it. 

Lots of love and thanks—for the best Christmas moment of my life. 

Duana

So~no science this week, folks, just the love: of kindness, of surprise, of reading, of people.  Whatever holidays you celebrate, may they be filled with it.

Cheers,

Duana

LoveScience will be back in its usual format after the New Year, but you can still Ask Duana anytime and get a free, confidential reply to your email.  Write to Duana@LoveScienceMedia.com.  If your letter is ever used on-site, your name and other identifying details will be changed, and your letter edited, to protect your identity.