Good Graces - Hardcover

Dear Reader,

When I sent my debut novel, Whistling in the Dark, out into the world four years ago, I kept my fingers crossed that readers would connect with my two little girls stumbling through a bygone era.  To my astonishment, and profound gratitude, readers not only seemed to enjoy the story, they clamored for more!

Of course, I was thrilled by their enthusiastic response, but when I sat down to tackle Good Graces it was with more than a little trepidation. I'd never written a sequel before, and so much time had passed. Would I be able to recapture the characters' voices, the feel of the block?  I couldn't have been more surprised when I fell back into the O'Malley sisters lived so easily.  I suspect it's because I grew up on the west side of Milwaukee during the 1950's in a neighborhood very similar to the one where the stories are set.  The lingo of those days, the clothing, the movies and music, it's a part of me.  My history.

I'm often asked if it's difficult to tell a story through the eyes of a young narrator.  Not really.  Children's language may be less developed, their perceptions immature, but we share something vital that makes it easy for me to connect with them.  Emotional cores. Hopefully, without the armor of adulthood getting in the way, the kid in me can connect with the kid in you so we can get down to the nitty-gritty of life...our feelings.

I hope you enjoy reading about the further adventures of the O'Malley sisters, and their friends and neighbors on Vliet Street, as much as I enjoyed writing about them again.  It felt good to be home.

Warmest wishes,

Lesley

Lesley Kagen is the award winning author of the New York Times bestselling Whistling in the Dark, Land of a Hundred Wonders, and Tomorrow River.  Her work has been translated into five languages. The mother of two grown children, she lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.