I will speak about my two worlds—my Orthodox Jewish childhood detailed in my memoir What Lies Within, and the discovery of my Italian Catholic birth family more than 50 years later—to a private gathering on Sunday, January 10, 2016. Stories about my second world have appeared in three anthologies and will be compiled into the memoir ‘What Took You So Long?’ scheduled to be published in late 2016.
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New Year’s resolutions seem like politicians’ promises: made with good intentions; yet lost in life’s realities. For years I earnestly made resolutions, but in 2015 I began setting goals. Then I laid out the necessary steps to achieve them.
Some of my 2015 goals included introducing my memoir to a wider audience, learning new technology, and spending more time with family. For the most part I’ve achieved them, although technology changes so rapidly that it remains a huge challenge.
What are my goals for 2016? They include continuing to sell What Lies Within; publishing The Spirit of Villarosa, a book I coauthored and have worked on for nearly 13 years; completing What Took You So Long?, the amazing story of finding my birth family 11 years ago; and perhaps mastering some of the technology that remains a challenge.
Thanks to you, dear readers, I might actually reach some of these goals. I hope that you’ll reach some of your own.
Happy New Year to all my lovely followers. May 2016 be filled with good health, joy, and love.
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The snow-laden sky unleashed its heavy burden, and flakes descended, slowly at first, and then with greater intensity. I watched from our living room window as the crystals swirled in random patterns, blown by the wind. Eventually they began to stick to the ground, and within an hour, Hillside wore a new white coat that brightened the grayness of the New Jersey winter day. I loved snow but realized it would delay the arrival of our special guest. “Mommy, when will he get here?” I asked anxiously.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “The snowfall is growing heavier, and he may not be able to land. We’ll just have to wait.”
“Adoption creates a bond of love.”
These words are at the core of my life, and also became the title for my story in the December issue of Story Monsters Ink. November was National Adoption Month and throughout the month my heart was filled with joy meeting other adoptees and adoptive families on social media, and hearing their stories.
For those who are considering adoption, or who are part of an adoptive family, I hope you enjoy my story of family.
This beautiful review was written on Amazon.com by my friend and talented author Janelle Jalbert. Janelle’s book Triangulating Bliss is one of my favorites, you can purchase a copy here: http://amzn.com/194253518X
“WHAT LIES WITHIN is a story that would bring a lesser woman to her knees. Instead Atwater’s account of her early years illustrates how an indomitable spirit is comprised of resolve, mettle, and just plain chutzpah. WHAT LIES WITHIN is the story of a girl – growing into womanhood – while facing obstacles that would appear to be insurmountable. The family she held dear undergoes a series of trials and tribulations that leave her to stand on her own and define life as she would come to know it. Libby Atwater has definitely seen the darker side of life yet proves that the events of your life do not have to define who you are.