“Mahkovec weaves charm and originality into the fairy tales” —Kirkus

Not a love story—and yet a story of love. Love for a city, the artist’s way, and dreams.

When the indomitable, though introverted, Honora Gorman moves to New York City to pursue the writer’s path, she is both awed and overwhelmed by the city’s beauty and energy. Yet she’s convinced that this is the place where her true self will finally emerge. Her beloved notebooks will chronicle her at-long-last journey.

Over the course of several decades, her path often veers and detours as she stumbles over the obstacles of jobs, love, places to live, growing older, and the sense that time is running out. Yet pushing her ever forward is the exuberant persistence of storytelling—her “conversation with life”—and her do-or-die determination to stay true to her dreams. Will she triumph in the end? Are such dreams attainable?

The result is the fanciful story of Honora’s writing life woven together with fairytales, whimsy, and wonder.

Author Bio:

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.