Good read

Last month I shared photos of bookmarks I made for my book club and mentioned that our December book was from a local author.  That author is Angela Pisel and she led the discussion for our meeting about her first novel, Love from the Inside.

The novel alternates telling the story of a mother and daughter. The mother is on death row and the daughter is leading what appears to be a wonderful life without acknowledging her mother at all.  Angela shared with us how she got the idea for the book and when she decided some important plot points.  We also discussed capital punishment particularly for the 50+ women on death row in the US.  She also told us about the writing and publishing process for a first time author.  It was a very interesting meeting and we are all anticipating her next book.  She didn't give us an exact date but I gathered it would not be that far into the future.

Love from the Inside can be difficult to read at times because of the sad nature of the story and the details of the prison system but it is definitely worth a read.  It's beautifully written capturing each character sympathetically and with grace.  One of the attendees had listened to it on audio and recommended that version as well.

On these bitterly cold days, it's good to have a book to curl up with and await spring.