Cathy C. Hall Writes

Yes, I know I’m too old for dolls, but there’s something special about this little yarn cutie.

See, she came home and joined me outside while I enjoyed a quick read. I was busy checking out the blog of the girl who makes these yarn dolls. Her name is Katherine Mayhew, and I think she’s twelve. When I was twelve, I spent an awful lot of time singing into a hairbrush and devising ways to meet The Monkees.

So right in the middle of reading about her mission to raise money for orphans in Afr

ica so they can go on a field trip, I found my little yarn doll, swinging on the chandelier in the dining room. I don’t think the orphans would approve of those shenanigans. Although if I’m honest, those kids have probably never seen a chandelier. I’m not even sure they have electricity in that village.

Anyway, I got her down from there–and couldn’t help noticing what fine shape she was in. My, I said to myself, that Katie can really knit well. And didn’t I see something about dishcloths? A person can never have enough dishcloths (especially if th

at person lives with the Beneficent-yet messy- Mr. Hall.) I should order some of those fine knitted wonders, too, I thought. But before I could get around to that, I had to find my doll. She was perusing my bookshelves, from the upside-down position.

Oh, that little stinker!

I had one more thing I wanted to look up, so I have my little yarn doll here, hanging out with me at the Hall of Fame, while I read about Kathe rine’s Mission. I imagine Katie’s going to need a lot of help to raise enough money for the orphans, but I have a feeling she’ll succeed.

As for keeping up with those wild and crazy dolls, she’s on her own.

So, during the Random Acts of Publicity Kindness week, I’ve been sprinkling my promo fairy dust on Vicky Alvear Shecter and her debut novel, Cleopatra’s Moon.

Now, honestly, Cleopatra’s Moon has been getting rave reviews from lots of folks WAY bigger than me. And I know why. It’s a great story, beautifully written, expertly told.

It’s the tale of Cleopatra Selene, the only daughter of the Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, and the Roman general, Marcus Antonius. And the only child to have survived (of Cleopatra’s four) to adulthood. History doesn’t give us many details about this daughter, so Vicky rendered a story of what may have been.

There’s much of the politics, as well as religion, of both of these powerful, ancient cultures. You’ll get a love story, too, as Cleopatra Selene forsakes her own happiness in an attempt to gain a political advantage. But that’s not the heart of the story. The heart lies with the mother and daughter and how complicated love can be as we struggle to make our way in the world, ancient or modern.

It was that touch of…unexpectedness that I enjoyed the most about Cleopatra’s Moon. The way Vicky made an ancient story resonate with the same challenges we face today, as daughters, and yes, as mothers. So buy the book for your daughter or granddaughter. But make sure that you read it yourself.

And yes, I waited till the very end of the week to blog about this book. That’s because on Friday, Vicky does a thing called Friday Funnies on her blog that always cracks me up. You don’t have to be a history buff, or know a ton about the classics. You just have to enjoy a good funny.

(Hey, there’s nothing in the Random Acts of Publicity Kindness that says I can’t sprinkle promo dust on a book and a blog. Enjoy!)