I was just fascinated watching her eye movements and wondering what chapter she was reading and what she thought of what she was reading.
Finally I had to break down and ask her where she was at in the book. She told me Rosa had just escaped from India and was on her way back to the Philippines. I asked her if she cried at this stage and she said she hardly ever cries. Wait till she gets to Paul's demise near the end of the book. If she does not cry at his death she never will. I cry every time I read it, and I wrote the story. It is an amazing experience to cry about some fiction that you know is totally made up but you cry anyway. Why? I understand that as a reader you may get caught up and identify with the character but I guess as a writer the same thing happens. What do they call that...a suspension of reality?
Needless to say, I autographed her ( my) book and she was thrilled to bits. Obviously I was even more thrilled but does she really have to know?
I can't wait for the day when I sit down at a beach somewhere again and two people are reading my book, one on either side of me!
Please buy the book here and in the blink of an eye it will be on your phone or computer. Buy it now It All started in Mandalay
I can't remember whether I told you the story of a a new friend I made in my apartment in Phnom Penh. By chance he was from Kuala Lumpur and we started to talk about the book. Shockingly, he simply opened his phone and bought the book. That was almost as shocking as the woman reading my book right beside me.
The next thing you know, someone will be buying the movie rights!!!!