REVIEW AND WRAP UP

"Kitchen Privileges" by Mary Higgins Clark
(from inside flap)
Even as a young girl, growing up in the Bronx, Mary Higgins Clark knew she wanted to be a writer. Teh gift of storytelling was a part of her Irish ancestry, so it followed that she would later use her sharp eye, keen intelligence, and inquisitive nature to create stories about the people and things she observed.

When Mary Higgins Clark's father died during the Depression, her mother opened their home to roomers, announced by a discreet sign that read
FURNISHED ROOMS.
KITCHEN PRIVILEGES.
Those who responded proved to be a colorful lot.

Studying these diverse people, then later observing passengers on the Pan Am flights on which she worked as a stewardess, Clark began to form ideas for short stories that later appeared in magazines.

When her husband died, leaving her a young widow with five children to support, she found work writing radio scripts and also decided to try her hand at writing novels, the second of which was Where Are the Children? That book launched her career and was the first of 27 (and still counting) best-selling novels of suspense.

As Mary Higgins Clark has said when asked if she might give up writing for a life of leisure, "Never! To be happy for a year, win the lottery. To be happy for life, love what you do."

In Kitchen Privileges, she reflects on the joy that her life as a writer has brought her, and shares with readers the love that she has found.


MY REVIEW
This book follows Ms. Clark's life from the time she is 3. It takes you through the Depression, the World War 2, the 60's and Viet Nam. Through all this Ms. Clark is writing short stories and submitting them to the poplar magazine's of the day. And trying her best to raise her 5 children by herself. It also looks into how a writer gets started and how she got her first book published. Well, the book we probably all have heard of. Her first book ever published is called,
"Aspire to the Heavens", which was based on George and Martha Washington's life. If you click on the name of the book it will take you to Amazon.com where they have the book listed. If you have read any of Ms. Clark's books, you should read this Memoir. It lets you see how she began her writing career.


IN THEIR SHOES CHALLENGE WRAP UP

This book concludes the reading challenge for me. 5 of 5 books read.

1. The Sum of Our Days - Isabel Allende
2. The Mighty Queens of Freeville - Amy Dickerson
3. Jantzen's Gift - Pam Cope
4. Dog Years - Mark Doty
5. Kitchen Privileges - Mary Higgins Clark