Sunday, December 20, 2009

Music from another Country: Reader reactions

Now that my book Music from another Country has reprinted and been read by quite a number of people, I have been receiving reader feedback. Mostly, this has been very positive and even when it hasn't been, it has been constructive.
It is gratifying for writers to receive readers' comments on their work. One card said: "I sat up in bed the other morning, and cried as I finished your beautiful book. It made me think about relationships that I've had and secrets that I keep . . . Thank you." That helped make the years of writing the book, the research and the many rejections before the book was finally published worthwhile.
And the indignant reader who was put out with me because she started crying on the train when she was reading my book has started me off on a story about a woman who starts crying on a train while reading a book.
There are some storylines on Music from another Country that some readers may find confronting, but I don't apologise for that. No-one has to read the book. But I hope those that do find it was worth it to persevere.

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