Amy Hill Hearth

February 22, 2017

I found a letter in my inbox this morning. It was an unusual piece of fan mail for several reasons. This is what it said (minus personal details that the writer had included): “I just love your writing. Now that journalists and authors seem to be under attack, I’ve decided to just let writers and journalists know what I have appreciated. In particular, I enjoy how your writing flows with such ease.” Then the letter-writer went on to say that she had shared my books with her elderly grandfather and that it had led them to “talk about all kinds of things that just wouldn’t have been possible” if she hadn’t used the books as a starting point. She ended by thanking me for giving her “unusual and loving memories” of her grandfather.

I get a lot of mail, and I'm always grateful. This letter got through to me in a different way, however. I can envision this woman with her elderly grandpa. This makes me so very happy at a time when writers and journalists are indeed under attack. It's a reminder that we never know - or rarely find out - the impact we may be having on someone else's life.

Best wishes,
Amy