It is a tale of three journeys . . . like a fairy tale. I have always been grateful to my editor who wrote on the envelope. Sometimes writers don’t even open the big return envelopes (back when we sent them) for weeks. And I had so much going on then, that was a possibility.

Thanks, “Poppy.” Happy Mother’s Day!

Only if I write a new one, Laurie! And the way books are remaindered so fast, it’s hard. There were no huge expectations for BGP–of course, having Felicia Bond illustrate didn’t hurt things, but there was none of the pressure we have today. The book just coasted along and Harper kept it in print.

Thanks, Jama. Only you know the exact spot where we caught the bus! In later years, I loved going shopping with my mother. She always encouraged me to buy whatever I tried on. I did the same, but she would always complain, “The neck doesn’t hang right,” or “I can’t wear anything cut on the bias.” If Mama was around to day, she’d be shocked at the “fast-fashion” stuff we buy, the heck with the way the neck hangs.

Happy Mother’s Day to us both, for remembering our mamas.

Ah, you caught on that the book was about something different than I thought, just as this blog post was. I never knew I was immortalizing those little trips to town with my mother. I was actually thinking more of the kindness of the bus driver when I wrote it! It took me years to figure out why I really wrote that book.

You *never* know which book will hit. You can try and plan and promote and social-media something to death, but the readers make the book. I didn’t pay any attention to BGP for the first 20 years–the readers did it all. And I’m very grateful.