For a few years I've been referring to my novel
Whale Song as "my heart book". I tell people it's because I am connected to it personally and emotionally. There is so much of
me in that book. Sometimes I share the story of my
brother Jason and how
Whale Song was the way the police found me after his death. At signings, I'll sometimes share a story that a fan shared with me about how
Whale Song affected him or her--how it sometimes changed a life.
It humbles me to realize that the words between the pages of
Whale Song--MY words--could ever affect someone so deeply. It's changed people, brought family closer together, healed old wounds and changed the course of someone's life from
destructive to
constructive.
Wow...I am humbled.
I recall the story of the young woman who emailed me saying that she and her mother weren't talking anymore, too many past hurts. And then she bought
Whale Song for her mom and everything changed. There was forgiveness and healing. They are now talking, sharing, laughing, crying and living with love in their hearts for each other.
Wow...I am blessed.
I remember the woman who bought
Whale Song just before Mother's Day. She'd told me her mom had just passed away a few days before. I felt awful for her and talked her out of buying the book. I didn't want her to feel more pain and I thought she wouldn't be ready to deal with a book about mothers and daughters. She agreed. A few minutes later she came back to my table and said
Whale Song was all she could think about. So she bought it. She was ready. She emailed me weeks later to thank me for helping her find closure.
Wow...I am awed.
And just this weekend, I heard from a young woman who told me her life had changed after reading
Whale Song, and that it had inspired her to paint again, and the painting she created is unbelievably beautiful. In my next post I will tell you how
Whale Song changed Aynsley Nisbet's life, and I'll share her words (with her permission) and a photo of the painting, which are the most amazing gifts anyone has given me.
Wow...I am honored.
For this and so much more,
Whale Song is and always will be "my heart book".
~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
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