At Yellow Lake--Taking My Baby Home

While I've been in the US visiting my family, the wonderful Frances Lincoln Children's Books have arranged publication events for At Yellow Lake. The official launch was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where my mother was born and raised. This week I took my "baby" to Peterson, Minnesota, my own home town.

This picture is a little misleading, although it  accurately shows just how small a place Peterson is.

To reach Peterson, Minnesota, you follow the arrow and turn left off Highway 20 and follow a road that leaves this flat, rather barren-looking farmscape behind and meanders down into a beautiful river valley....

The events in Peterson reflected my small-town roots...

It was a pleasure to work with these and talented 7th Graders, as well as other, equally well-behaved and enthusiastic groups. I went to school with some of their parents,  I knew plenty of their aunta, uncles, and even grandparents. One classmmate's son reminded me that I was always for school, even though I lived less than 100 metres away. Small town memories last a long time!

But it was nice to be remembered, and very touching to have local people who knew me decades ago, still take an interest in my life and want to help celebrate my book.

Here are some of the women who meet every morning at Judy's cafe (my event venue) for coffee. Some of them have been going there since I was a waitress myself!  I was so moved by the fact that they came early, got a table and made sure they were first in line to buy a book!

Here's me with my cousin Susie.












Here's my cousin Barb, a hard-to-please customer who at least found something to laugh about!

Here's me signing a book for another cousin, Pam

And here are two of my oldest friends, Julie and Kathy.

I've lived thousands of miles from "home" for dozens of years, but it's no wonder I got emotional at this wonderful event.  A little bit of Peterson, Minnesota, is always with me, and a part of me will always be there...

and not only in the the Peterson Depot museum, which bought three copies of At Yellow Lake!