Adventures and eBooks

Dearest Family,

I just wanted you to know that tomorrow I am going on an adventure to fill my bucket.  On my list was French fluency.  I am headed to Quebec City for four weeks of French immersion.  I will live with a family and share two meals a day with them.  I will commute downtown to school each day on the bus.  I am excited and terrified that this old brain may not be up to the task at hand.  However, I have been studying in every way I can for the past four months.  I won't be fluent but I will be a step closer.  

If you are interested in this journey, I'll probably be posting on my blog.  See:  ZannahMartin.com to sign up.

Also, the much anticipated eBook of SONG OF SARAI is now available.  NOT at Amazon, which still has the paperback for sale.  But Kobo, Book Shout, and Barnes & Noble all have it available.  The ISBN number is 9780578512570.  It is both cheaper and more portable.  Sorry I couldn't deliver this for your summer reading.

Bon Voyage!

Zannah

My novel is almost here

Dearest Family,

How many years have your heard me talk about this damned book.  Finally it is going to be published.

I am a month away from publication of my novel Song of Sarai.  I have spent twenty five years developing this story.  It is a woman's spiritual journey.  It is my spiritual journey.  Perhaps, your spiritual journey has similar aspects.

The novel has been condensed from a 1000 page trilogy to a quick read of a few hundred pages.  Gone is the generational back story.  Gone are the flowery descriptions.  What remains are the clear voices of the main characters, looking back upon events in their lives.  Often there is disagreement regarding the "truth" of these events.

Inspired by the scholarship of Savina Teubal, from Berkeley, 25 years ago, I was intrigued by an alternate history of Biblical Sarah and Hagar, the Egyptian.  I have visited the Middle East twice.  I have walked the ground in the story from Syria, Jordan, Israel, and Egypt.  I am passionate about the story.

I care about Sarah's life and times because like for many women of power and spiritual leadership, those who told her story converted her life into that of a barren old crone of little importance.  Her husband Abraham paid a fortune for the land and cave in which she was buried, indicating her status.  Yet, today in Hebron, the building which honors her burial and those that came after is called The Tomb of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque.  

Did we forget someone?  Yes.  I'm here to set the record straight, to reimagine the religious life and times of these two archtypal figures.  How do two people reconcile their differences when one worships the feminine divine and the other the masculine divine?  How do modern readers make sense of a very strange, conflicted Biblical story?

I hope you and your friends will be curious and even debate these ideas that are presented?

A discussion guide will be available for book clubs.

I won't bombard you with emails, but I'll honor your wishes if you're not really interested in hearing more.  Thanks for your support in the past.

Bens new haircut

Last day of 1st grade

Buffalo bills Wild snowmobiling west show

Having a banana break

Wonderful, Patient 7

Ben you turned 7 years old last week. You have changed so much in the past year! This is the story you told me about turning 7.

"Mom, I am so much different this year."
"Why do you say that?"
"Remember last year I was crying all the time, saying when is my birthday going to come, and I can't wait for my birthday, and I would cry and cry waiting for all the toys? Now I am so patient. Now I don't cry at all waiting for my birthday."

And Ben, you continue to be a keen observer of life, even your own! It is amazing how much more patient you've grown over the past year. You're still just as persistent and focused as ever - we've really enjoyed spending *months* putting together your birthday wish list - you learned how to type it into a computer, and three weeks before the big day we shopped for gift bags.

Last year during your own party you had to take a little break upstairs to get away from the action and regroup. But this year you took your whole party in stride, and managed to navigate getting your friends from school and your best friend Kenny who didn't know anyone else to all play together.

Ben here are some of the reasons we love you:
1. You are passionate! When you are excited about something there is no stopping the outpouring of enthusiasm. Your latest passion is collecting hot wheels cars (you returned a duplicate gift at Target and picked out 20 more cars for your collection) and planning the making of your own video game. Dad has said he won't start working on this with you for another year, but this hasn't curtailed the conversations you want to have about this topic!
2. You are persistent. See above.
3. You are a deep thinker and deep feeler. Scooby Doo gives you bad dreams. You sometimes cry when we leave you with a trusted sitter. You love your stuffed doggie and skunkie and just built them a cardboard bed.
4. You are our son and we love your endlessly!