Please Remember This

February 15, 2002
Tess Lanier never knew her mother, cult fantasy author Nina Lane, since Nina committed suicide when Tess was just a baby. After spending her life trying to avoid any connection to Nina, Tess reluctantly attends an annual Nina Lane fan gathering in Kansas, and the experience proves to be the catalyst that pushes Tess to move to the small town where her mother last lived. With the help of the Ravenal family, particularly historian Ned, Tess adapts to her new life, and the more she discovers about her mother, the more she learns about herself. Seidel adds some unlikely elements, such as the excavation of a 19th-century steamboat, to beautifully crafted characters and an emotionally satisfying plot in this wise, wonderful book that belongs in most libraries. Seidel, a RITA Award-winning author, lives in Virginia. John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZ

Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.