Signs and Wonders, Alix Ohlin’s collection of short stories, is a beautiful book. Ohlin makes the art of writing short stories seem like a cakewalk. Her writing appears effortless; her choice of wording so perfect that you think to yourself ‘of course that’s the only way it could be said.’ Many writers of short stories… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Annette
My Stand-up Desk
My Stand-up Desk Unless you’re like Hemingway who is reported to have stood up while typing his novels, the writer’s life could kill you. Too many writers (me included) and social media types spend too many hours sitting in front of the computer. I enjoy physical exercise and it’s seldom I miss a day working… Continue Reading
Review of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Review of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle I can’t say enough about David Wroblewski’s The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. It is a strange and wonderful novel that hooks the reader in a myriad of ways. The passages in which he describes nature are so lyrical and beautifully written, I stopped to reread them several times,… Continue Reading
TACA airlines refuses to compensate for lost luggage!
Our luggage was lost on a recent vacation to Costa Rica. If you think this is unusual, think again. According to Barbara S. Peterson on the Conde Nast Traveler 26 million suitcases go missing on international flights and an amazing 1 million suitcases are never found. In the U.S. more than188, 254 reports of missing… Continue Reading
Wilma Robinson, Bird Woman of the Pitt Polder
My dear friend, Wilma Robinson, died on December 18, 2012. She was 89. I admired Wilma as a woman, a pioneer of the Pitt Polder and a conservationist. Wilma was the inspiration for Miracle at Willowcreek, my novel about a community that rallies to save the wetlands of the Pitt Polder in Pitt Meadows, British… Continue Reading
Amanda Todd: In Memoriam
Amanda Todd: In Memoriam To show her vulnerability, To open her heart, to say ‘I’m hurting,’ I need someone, Was an act of bravery. Most of us live our lives Hiding our hurts, fearful. We grow old and die, Allowing few people to know us. We pretend to be strong, But none of us is… Continue Reading
Sisterhood
Sisterhood For almost a decade, I’ve been writing about sisterhood in Circle of Cranes and though I hadn’t really thought of it until lately, I belong to a sisterhood in my personal life or to be more precise, I belong to several sisterhoods. Years ago, I organized the Birthday Club because I worried that one… Continue Reading
Circle of Cranes Reviews
Circle of Cranes … shows the reality of today’s working conditions for illegal Chinese immigrants in Chinatown. Annette LeBox also incorporated a magical element that gave the book a fable-like feel. While this novel is written for a middle grade readership, it could be enjoyed by all ages. We definitely recommend Circle of Cranes. Kidzworld… Continue Reading
One Helps One Program: Educating Girls in China
Educating Girls in China: One Helps One Program When I visited Cao Hai Nature Reserve in Guizhou, China, in 2000, to research Circle of Cranes, I was unprepared for the extreme poverty and the fact that so few of the girls could afford to attend school. Since that time, my husband, Michael Sather and I… Continue Reading
The Miao Minority: A Step Back Into the Past
On my visit to China to research my YA novel in 2000, I discovered the wonderful world of the Miao people. I became so fascinated by the richness of the Miao culture and history that I decided that the heroine of Circle of Cranes, Suyin, would belong to this ethnic group. The majority of the… Continue Reading