Today, I turn 71. The time of my birth was 11:55 pm, minutes before midnight; my mother was drugged heavily, and my father, Pop, was home caring for my older sister, Ann, who was then six months old.
I was the child they couldn’t have. My mother had been informed she had an ‘infantile uterus’ far too hostile for a pregnancy. To everyone’s surprise, I was conceived three months before Ann’s birth. My parents were delighted to go for a twofer.
We could not have looked more unrelated. Ann was a deep brunette with chocolate brown eyes, while I was hairless, fair, and inches taller than Ann.
I was a fusser throughout my childhood, always curious, physical, and challenging, while Ann was quiet, watchful, taking refuge in a world of her own. I could have stayed in college forever, earning degree after degree, changing professions (now two times), never fully sated. Ann needed nudging to achieve her nursing degree, which she used throughout her life.
This morning, I’m thinking of my folks, who have slid into the annals of time. I’m pondering their flood of emotions, the surprise of a second girl after convincing themselves I'd be a boy, buying tons more diapers pins, rubber pants, bottles, and a second crib, and moving so quickly into parenthood times two that they didn't know what hit them.
I wonder if I've reached the dream they had for me. Or perhaps they were simply happy being parents and had no specific thoughts about my future. I think they’d be proud of me now. But not for my career life, perhaps a bit for the books I've published, as reading was a fundamental activity in our home. But I know in my heart they’d be proudest of the glorious family I created.
Family has been the engine in my life, making me tick the loudest, smile most fully, and cry the hardest. Is it any surprise the theme of marriage and family resonates in Threadbare and In the Hands of Women? You will see it again in Over There while our beloved characters face the challenges and horrors of WWI.
Many thanks to all of you for your interest in my work. It means the world to me.
Jane
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And now, on to other matters.
I have had the privilage of meeting another writer in my genre (Medical Historical Fiction) who shares my last name. How wild is that? Alina Rubin has a new book, A Surgeon and a Spy, just released on October 10, 2024.
But, how about we start with the first one....
A Girl with a Knife by Alina Rubin: Hearts and Sails Series Book 1
Women could not be surgeons. She did it anyway.
After the heartbreaking loss of her mother and a cruel attack by her drunken father, Ella Parker decides that dishonesty is fine when it serves her needs. At a time when wealthy young ladies do little more than embroidery, Ella escapes her luxurious but lonely life, and meets an eccentric ship surgeon who—once she impresses him with her quick-thinking and empathy—allows her to assist him during a surgery.
Compelled by Ella’s intelligence and interest in medicine, the doctor prepares her for a medical career, but there’s a catch: in early 19th century England, women are not accepted into universities. To fulfil her dream of becoming a doctor, Ella must disguise herself as a young man with aspirations of becoming a doctor. After changing her look and name, Ella finds her footing as she performs dissections, conducts experiments, and cares for patients. She also tutors Oli, a kind but struggling fellow student, but she must take caution. Even in her loneliest moment, she cannot trust anyone or make friends.
As Ella continues to excel in her studies, brilliantly saving the life of a patient, she becomes a top contender for the apprenticeship with a famed professor. Dogged by fear of discovery, she must choose between truth and lies, and distinguish between real and false friends, before her pretense is uncovered.
Perfect for book clubs!
Riveting and really makes you think Jane - as always!