TSS: A Completely Unique Bookstore Event

Yesterday afternoon I attended yet another delightful event at my local indie, One More Page Books. Not only did I get to meet Rachel Simon, author of The Story of Beautiful Girl, but also Kate Reading (Jennifer Mendenhall), the narrator of the audio book!

Rachel spoke first, detailing her inspiration for writing her previous book Riding the Bus With My Sister. Her sister is an intellectually disabled rides the city bus all day, every day (Monday through Saturday) each week. She knows all of the drivers by name, doesn’t wear a watch because she can simply look at the drivers of the buses, the timing of the stops, to understand what time it is. She asks Rachel to accompany her on these bus rides for one year. Riding the Bus With My Sister is a chronicle of this journey these two sisters took together.

Rachel then spoke of The Story of Beautiful Girl and her inspiration for the story. Attendees were then wowed by a reading from the book, not from Rachel, but from Kate/Jennifer, the narrator of the audio book. The pieces selected for her showcased her range of voices, a truly astounding experience. Sniffles were heard from the audience as she read from particularly emotional segments of the book.

This first ever event was recorded so I will be certain to provide a link to the video of the event once it is available. A truly remarkable, rewarding event!