Not only did Lorenzo return from hospital and find the strength to start drawing again ... not only did Baggage, in all it's vibrant wonder, drop through our letterbox to whoops and cheers ... not only did I attend the spiffing Just So festival and meet lots of new fans ... but best of all THIS arrived ... the very first uncorrected proof of my talented wife's debut novel...
THE BOOK OF SUMMERS!
I'm not sure I've ever mentioned this before but Mimi (writing as Emylia Hall on the cover above) has, over the past three and a half years, quietly and patiently written a book. But not just any old novel - 'The Book of Summers' is an absolute GEM! While I've spent my time happily crafting cartoon mischief and mayhem, Emylia has spent hers weaving a stunningly transporting novel of love and loss.
Here's a brief description of the book in her own words:
"When news of a death in the family reaches her from abroad, Beth Lowe realises that she can no longer avoid her past. She is sent a photograph album, a poignant record of the seven summers she spent in rural Hungary. A time when she trod the tightrope between separated parents and two distinct countries; a bewitching but imperfect mother and a gentle, reticent father, the dazzling house of a Hungarian artist and an empty-feeling cottage in deepest Devon. Years later, Beth's Hungarian summers continue to haunt and entice her. The Book of Summers is about the lies we tell, the truths we keep and, above all, the ways we find to keep on loving one another."
Ooooooooooooooooooh - now that's a REAL read!
You can preorder the Hardback NOW, which will be released in March, 2012 from Headline.
The paperback will hit the shelves worldwide from June 2012.
For more information, head over to Emylia's blog HERE.
Trust me when I say this is going to be THE book of the summer.
A MILLION CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Robin