Personal Chapters Publishing's Anne Spry wishes she could be a fly on the wall—or perhaps a mouse in the corner—when her authors get their first look at what we've created together.
In the case of Giuliana Palma's recently released book, A Girl Named Maria, it would have meant stowing away in the author's suitcase all the way to Pennsylvania. That's where her Aunt Maria lives in a retirement home. When she showed her aunt the finished copy of the book, her first words were, "It's a real book!"
Those four simple words were all it took to make this first-time author beam with pride.
Giuliana's Aunt Maria has always shied away from attention. She never believed that immigrating to America from a small town in Italy in 1950 and overcoming countless obstacles was anything extraordinary. Her niece thought otherwise and wanted to preserve her beloved aunt's legacy.
When Giuliana presented several copies of A Girl Named Maria to her aunt, she watched as Aunt Maria shared them with friends, delighting in each person's reaction to the "real book."
Back home, Giuliana was thrilled to see A Girl Named Maria climb to #15 in IngramSpark's Women's Autobiography category.