Here is a photo of my grandmother, Mary Dorothea Vardaro, the other main character of The Strega's Story
. She is the woman in the blue pantsuit; the other lady is someone who worked at Plymouth Plantation, demonstrating how to dip candles. This was taken during a summer trip to Boston in 1969, the same summer as the Apollo moon landing (which I saw on TV in my Uncle Roland's house in Hingham). I remember how excited everyone was about the moon landing.
My grandmother apparently had a lot of fun on this trip to Massachusetts--she had been through cancer treatment, was--as far as I know--believed to be cancer-free and everyone thought she was going to be fine. I remember she loved being with all the relatives back East she had known since she was a young woman.
Part of the incredible process of writing this book has been that, as many of you know, I had no photographs of my grandmother and thought everything was lost. Now I have a veritable treasure trove.
My DSL is back online, and now my cell phone has basically rolled over and died! I remember when I had no cell phone, no DSL--heck, I still have my old Smith-Corona electronic typewriter.
Mr. Strega just said, "Do you want to go shop for phones?" and so I must venture forth. Thanks to all my readers for allowing me to share these precious images of my relatives, who meant and still mean the world to me.
2 comments:
So amazing to see a photo of a woman I've read a lot about in excerpts of your manuscript, and in your poetry. Wow, she has strong energy.
Thank you, Kate--this book has been a really incredible process and I could write a book ABOUT writing it, and all the changes that happened in my life because of it.
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