This month, the Catholic Writers’ Guild is touring Deanna K. Klingel’s book, “Rebecca and Heart.” It is a CWG Seal of Approval recipient! Before autism had a name or a diagnosis, it existed; children were referred to as “odd.”
Summary:
In this YA, pre WWII novel, set in London and narrated by an amusing fly-on-the-wall, orphan Rebecca is considered “odd.” It takes a stray mutt she calls Heart to show her adoptive family how to enter into Rebecca’s silent world.
Excerpt:
I take a short nap on the wall in the warm sunshine, oversleep, and nearly miss the afternoon tea.
This is the first time Rebecca has ever been invited to the tea. The head mistress sits her down at a far tea table, apart from all the other tables. She sits alone.
“Be quiet,” Mistress tells her, and hurries off.
I watch her stare at the rug and lose herself in the design of concentric circles. She sways almost imperceptibly, but to Rebecca her movements are the same as the circles. Around and around she sways fitting into the circles just fine. She begins to count the circles.
Just then a lady wearing white gloves and a large hat sits down at the table where Rebecca is sitting intently studying the carpet. The woman seems captivated by the quiet girl, sitting alone, swaying in circles. She spots me on the wall and gives me a look of disdain. I get that a lot.
Website: http://booksbydeanna.com/index.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Deanna-K-Klingel-Author
Twitter: @deannakklingel
Bio:
Deanna K. Klingel is the author of books for young and young-at-heart readers. She attends conferences and book festivals, speaks at schools, museums, historical events, and libraries, and inspires readers and writers of all ages.
Deanna was born and raised in Michigan and married her high school sweetheart while they were students at Michigan State University. They’ve lived many places including Sandy Springs, Georgia for 20 years with their 7 children before retiring to the mountains of western North Carolina. They have recently relocated to Edenton, NC, where they are restoring a 1790 home in the Historical District.
In her miniblog Mondays and Thursdays she shares her experiences on the road selling books, the people she meets, the places she goes, and what she’s learned while selling books. Occasionally she shares more personal anecdotes.
Deanna says, “We hear so much these days about unkindness, bullying, particularly against vulnerable children. It’s my hope that young people will love Rebecca, and as they understand her and her situation, they will become more empathetic, and show kindness and respect to those who are ‘odd,’ or different from themselves.”
Buy Link:
https://www.amzn.com/B078TQML5Y
Tweet:
Before autism had a name or a diagnosis, it existed; children were referred to as “odd.” Read Deanna L. Klingel’s young adult novel “Rebecca & Heart.” https://www.amzn.com/B078TQML5Y
Michael Fraley
Michael Fraley has been editing and posting the CWG Book Blast since 2016. He's adapted the Arthurian portion of Geoffrey of Monmouth's “Histories of the Kings of Britain” to the comic page, has worked in book illustration, graphic design, and has also served as a newspaper columnist. In 2019 the story of his conversion to Catholicism was told in Nancy Ward's book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. His primary area of study is in the Jewish roots of the Church, with an emphasis on the Gospel of Matthew and the Epistle of James. He holds a MA in theology from St. Joseph's College of Maine and a BFA in fine art from Indiana University. He can be reached at michael@michaelfraley.com