I'm feeling pretty vulnerable these days, carrying around a fragile gift that is about to make its way into the world--where it will have a life of its own.
Lucky for me, I have a friend who has taught me a little something about vulnerability.
Twelve years ago I walked into a church service and met someone who would end up becoming one of my most treasured friends. Way back even then, Caroline had a dream.
Through months and years, I watched while she put herself out there again and again, only to receive rejection letters for her efforts. And as years turned into a decade, there was no wondering if she should give up her gift. That would be like asking if you should give up your right arm.
The only answer was to keep putting herself out there. So she did.
And today, Caroline Starr Rose, one of my best friends and one of the most gifted writers I've read, sends her baby out into the world to have a life of her own.
May B., a novel-in-verse for ages 8-12, chronicles life on the frontier for a young girl struggling with dyslexia.
A description from Amazon, who chose May B. as one of the best books of the month for kids (Yes, it's that good!):
"May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned.
"Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again.
"Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love."
If you are a Little House fan, if you have young readers at home, if you love poetry, or if you need to nurture a faltering dream of your own, you'll love May B.
Carrie, thank you for what you've taught me about friendship, about perseverance, and about vulnerablity. I'm so proud and blessed to know you.
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