As a journalist I'm comfortable doing library research, and I did a lot! I had a fellowship at Radcliff for a year which gave me access to the Harvard system.

He was golden and beautiful as a sunset.

Making plans is a game. Life chooses for you.

I got nice rejections explaining that historical fiction was a difficult sell. But I kept trying.

I would have stayed forever within the garden of Re-mose's childhood, but time is a mother's enemy.

If you want to understand any woman you must first ask about her mother and then listen carefully. Stories about food show a strong connection. Wistful silences demonstrate unfinished business. The more a daughter knows about the details of her mother's life - without flinching or whining - the stronger the daughter.

I love many kinds of music: world music, jazz, classical, pop.