a sort of unbelievable Small Damages review

I try to keep my head down, to keep working or reading, or thinking or being—and not to dwell over responses to a book that cannot now be changed in any fashion (unless I go all trickworthy during the paperback process, and I would never do that).  And sometimes people like a book and sometimes people don't, and you just have to go with the flow.  You have to keep flowing.

This morning, however, my friend Alyson Hagy wrote me an email that I will always treasure.  She shares my love of place, of depth, of landscape, of birds, and when she talks I listen, I learn.  And this afternoon, I stopped again—was stopped—by Meghan Miller of Forever Young Adult (she calls herself an erstwhile librarian; I can't believe there's anything erstwhile about her).  She has put together a review of Small Damages reviews here; she's even cast my movie; she's brought me Emma Stone; she's set the table.  I cannot let this pass.  I cannot let it go.  I don't want to be tedious or all about me, but:

This is remarkable. I have to thank her.

The review, titled "I've Waited Years For A Book Like This" can be found in its entirety here.

Some of the (many) words that made me smile here.  Note to Meghan:  Kenzie will be your BFF anytime.

Kenzie is marvelous. She's magnificent. She has both an artist's perception of the world and a teenager's self-absorbed blindness; Kenzie's not mean or selfish, but it takes time for her to see past her own (admittedly huge) concerns and sympathize with others. But she's funny and kind, and she really does care, and I'd love to carefully wrap my arm around her and help her heal, because I think she's definite BFF material.