Yesterday morning I heard from my friend Paula that my book, Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir, was in stock and on the shelf at our favorite local indie bookstore, Book Passage in Corte Madera, California. As soon as I got the kids off to school and did everything else that needed to get done before I could do anything as self-indulgent as go look, I grabbed my car keys and drove over.
The bookseller at the store was very nice and pointed me to the table in front where the appealing cover of Mamalita might catch the eye of someone standing in line on the way to the cash register. (Thank you, Book Passage!) After that, he directed me to the “Parenting” section, where my book was shelved with other books about adoption: Susan Caughman’s You Can Adopt, Janis Cooke Newman’s The Russian Word for Snow, and Scott Simon’s recent Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other. Very good company, I’d say.
One of my goals in writing Mamalita was to tell a real story about adoption, and in doing so, to contribute something lasting to the conversation about the subject. The thought was subconscious, but strong: “This is what happened to us. What does our experience tell us about the experience of international adoption?” My book existing on the shelf is the first step to our story, and the story of others like us, being heard.
Please forgive me if I’m a little too excited to see Mamalita, finally, out in the world. It’s my first book, and I’m not a young writer bursting onto the scene. As the Book Passage bookseller said, when he saw me tearing up, “Publishing your first book is like giving birth.”
So I’ve heard. Or, for many of us, adopting your first baby.
ShareThisTags: book clubs, Book Passage Corte Madera California, Facebook, Guatemala900, Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir, memoir writing
Congratulations on this great achievement. I’m going to adopt my own copy today!
Congratulations, Jessica.
I’m ordering from Amazon.ca, so perhaps will be the first one to write a review on the Cdn site.
Mark, thank you so much! After reading, please help me promote the book by posting on Facebook and reviewing on Amazon. And of course, telling everyone you know. 😉
Norah, thank you. I’d love it if you reviewed on the Canada site! You’ll see that Joyce Maynard wrote one of the blurbs on the back–and of course we met at Joyce’s workshop in Guatemala–and the other is by your compatriot, Leceta Chisolm Guibault, also from Canada. Thanks for helping spread the word up north.
Jessica,
That’s so awesome. I pre-ordered from Amazon, but my credit card expired after I placed the order. So now I will swing by BP tomorrow so I can get it right away. Can’t wait to read it!!
Dorothy
Jessica,
Congratulations!!! I’ll be picking it up at Book Passage! So happy for you…
Dorothy and Shannon: You will recognize many parts from our many workshops together! Hope you enjoy the full story. And thank you for buying the book!!
And I’m tearing up reading about your moment in Book Passage. This is soooo exciting, Jess!!! I’m so happy for you….and incredibly inspired by your passion to tell this story. Your story. Such an enormous achievement. Inspiring to no end….I can’t wait to dive in (just got my copy in the mail)!
xoxo,
Jill
Thank you, Jill! So happy you were along for important parts of the journey. Hoping you like the finished book. xoxo
Jessica,
Such an accomplishment! You deserve to be proud! After “birthing” your family, your birthed the story of your family. It’s been an honor to observe this process.
Tomorrow I’m off to BP to buy the book! Will see you at the booksigning!
Hugs and ample congratulations – for your book, and more so for your amazing soul! g 🙂
Hope you like the book, Gina. Happy you have been part of the process. You are so nice, thank you!
Congratulations Jessica!
I feel like one of the proud aunties 🙂 Your baby is beautiful!
Thanks, Dilyara. You are! And thanks for everything, including my beautiful blog, designed by you. 😉