On a personal note: A review from the not-so-distant past

Yesterday I received a letter from a dear friend who had just finished reading So Faithful a Heart. This friend was actually my undergraduate voice professor and in a very tangible way, the one who "started it all", years ago, when he assigned me Susanna's Act IV aria from Le Nozze di Figaro. From that point on, I was hooked, and now, over thirty years later, it has culminated in this novel. I don't think that either he or I ever dreamed that something like this would be born from his assigning me a standard piece for soprano, but here it is. I just wanted to share a little of what he wrote in his letter.

The time and energy to produce a work so well researched and so entertaining is a credit to you and your partner. It was very difficult to separate hard facts from the beauty and engaging presentation of the story. I think you truly caught the spirit of the time and the characters. The book is a good read. I'm glad that you included the romance of the story..it helps us understand the human side of people we admire and adds another dimension to their incredible lives. It must be a very rewarding feeling to have completed such a challenging project.

But my favorite line of all came at the very end.

Take care of yourself and keep in touch. I'm very proud of you. 

Thank you, Mr. Brown.