An Ironic Moment in an Author's Life 📚🤨

Published: Fri, 01/28/22

January 28, 2022

Hello ,

Quick note: This week Barnes and Noble offered a 25% discount on preorders for books coming out soon. The discount is good through today, Friday. Use the code PREORDER25 on Close-up on War, or any upcoming book.

Now, here's an ironic moment in my life as an author.

Years ago, in the beginning of my career as an author of books for young people, I learned about a scientist, Lise Meitner.

Her story is incredible, and I wanted to write a book about her. However, back in the stone age, publishers were not willing to risk money on a biographer of a woman like Lise Meitner.

Actually, many, many women you read about in books today, at that time were considered "too obscure." An amazing story about a woman making major contributions to science was not enough.

I was told, another book about someone well known like George Washington would be preferable.

The Woman Who Split the Atom

It was very exciting this week when I heard from my editor that CLOSE-UP ON WAR received a second starred review. I wanted to see if it was okay for me to share the news. The quickest way to find out is to check Amazon, where reviews are posted for every book.

Instead of a review for the story of Catherine Leroy, my book's page featured a review for a new book about Lise Meitner!

I'm so excited about The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marrisa Moss. It comes out in April.

Here's a short bit from the publisher.

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers.

Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well.

Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit.

Doesn't that sound like a story I would write? Marrisa Moss is an excellent author of more than 70 books for children. For just a few moments, I pretended this review was mine.

"A scorching profile of a brilliant physicist whose proper re cognition was long delayed thanks to sexism, antisemitism, and personal betrayal. . .A bright tale of a life dedicated to science, well stocked with dramatic moments and discoveries." Kirkus Starred Review

Then I emailed my editor and he straightened things out. Now Amazon is featuring a starred review for my book.

It's an honor and a privilege to tell the story of a woman like Catherine. I'm grateful times have changed. And I'm so grateful for your support over the years, helping me stay positive in a sometimes crushing business.

The review will run in the American Library Association's February 1st issue of Booklist magazine, but here's a preview! I've highlighted my favorite parts.

At 5 feet tall, 85 pounds, and 21 years old, Catherine Leroy wasn’t whom one expected to find wandering a battlefield. Yet, despite her petite size, Leroy displayed extraordinary drive and talent in the field of photojournalism, where she learned her way around a camera on site in Vietnam, earning many prestigious awards for her compassionate and humanizing coverage of this war.

Because Leroy, who was French, worked primarily with U.S. magazines and news outlets, this book reflects an American perspective of the Vietnam War. Farrell blends Leroy’s experiences and achievements in Vietnam with historic details, information on combat action and shifting attitudes toward this war, and fascinating insights into the world of freelance news photography.

Quotes, letters, and photos by Leroy appear in each short chapter, bringing her feisty personality to life as well as describing the troubles she faced as one of the only women photojournalists working at that time.

Smooth, engaging writing nimbly avoids the doldrums of stats-saturated reportage, taking a human-interest approach to the war and putting readers directly in the action beside Leroy. Later chapters, an epilogue, and an author’s note discuss the photographer's life and career after the Vietnam War and her general obscurity today as a result of her gender.

Source notes, image credits, and a bibliography speak to Farrell’s diligent research into this inspiring but under-recognized woman’s life.

Please Join Me for a Celebration!

You're all invited to my virtual book launch via zoom!

If you're in the Spokane, WA area, I hope you'll come to my real, live, in-person event at Auntie's Bookstore. Mark your calendar!

March 22 at 7pm (Pacific)

Auntie's Bookstore

402 West Main Avenue, Spokane

Still in the planning stages, so stay tuned!

Aunties requires proof of vaccination for all instore events.

March 24th at 7pm (Pacific)

In partnership with Wishing Tree Books, this zoom event will include myself and two acclaimed authors of nonfiction. Planning is underway. I'm pretty sure there will be prizes.

Until next week...

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