The year was 1983...Sutherland, Virginia. I was 15 years old. I was not an avid reader. Well, I did read Circus, Creem and Hit Parader Magazines ONLY if Def Leppard (Best Band Ever) was featured that month. Would that be considered an avid reader?...Maybe. I don't know! Getting back on track...
I was 15 years old and in the 9th grade. I was sick one day and had to stay at home from school. I was really bored. My Mama had just read a book. It was setting on the table beside her chair in our living room. When I saw the cover, I remember wishing I looked like the young woman on the cover. That book was Skye O'Malley. I couldn't stop reading once I started. That is how I met Bertrice Small and became a lifelong fan.
The Skye O'Malley Saga is my absolute favorite of Ms. Small's works. When Skye died, I cried as if I had lost a family member!! Unconquered is also at the top. I always loved that she would entwine characters from other books. It was like running into an old friend! I can only imagine the hours and hours of research she would do for just one book. When reading, it's as if you are in that moment in time. A Moment in Time-A wonderful book, also! The Kadin, Love Wild and Fair, Blaze Wyndham, Until You...
I could go on and on. (Side note regarding The Kadin/Love Wild and Fair: If anyone would like to see the real palaces Ms. Small wrote about but can't travel to Turkey, watch Magnificent Century. You can view on YouTube. It's about the life of Suleiman I and Hurrem. It was filmed in Turkey around Topkapi Palace and other areas.)
Bertrice Small's book gave me such a love for history and for travel. After I finished reading Skye O'Malley, I knew I wanted to see Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. I would do my own research and learn about the real characters in the books. In 2017, my dream trip came true. I traveled over with my niece, Rachel. When we landed in Ireland, I cried. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I walked where Skye O'Malley walked!!! I ferried over the same sea she sailed!!! I went to The Tower where she gave birth to Dierdre! Edinburgh Castle, Sterling Castle the borders...what an experience to actually be in all the places I've read about in such detail in Ms. Small's book. She was no ordinary author. She was EXTRAORDINARY and can never be replaced.
Skye O'Malley, Miranda Dunham, Janet Leslie, Catriona Leslie, Blaze Wyndham, Rosamund....so feminine yet extremely strong women. These wonderful books Ms. Small created gave me a place to escape, if just for a little while, when I didn't want to think about "real life"! I think I'm always going to miss going into a bookstore to get Bertrice Small's latest book. So, my thanks to you Ms. Bertrice Small for all the years of good reading!! God Bless You...
Ps. I emailed her about 24-25 years ago and she responded. Something I will never forget!!
(Attached pics: The Skye O'Malley book I took from my Mama. It is a prized possession. Not just because I love the book but because my Mama wrote her name in the book. She passed away in January 2019. I miss her everyday. Thank you, Mama, for buying that book and leaving it on table!!)
-Katy Belcher
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