Sophie Writes a Love Story
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An old trunk stood alone at one end of the attic. It probably hadn’t been opened for years. She wiped off the dust and released the latches to raise the lid. The odor of old clothing, mothballs, and papers permeated the air as she leaned over its contents. On top was a favorite dress she had worn to Shirley’s wedding, one that Carl really liked. Its green satin was faded to a dingy tan, so it was obviously ready for the trash pile. Boxes contained memories from each of her children: school report cards and newspaper articles of interest. These could go in with the pictures.
Her wedding gown was sealed in a plastic bag, but the years had taken their toll. The gown was yellowed, and the lace was almost a coffee color. She removed the fragile garment from the bag and held it in front of her, twirling around in a slow waltz, closing her eyes and thinking of Carl. An old white, leather-bound album of wedding pictures was complete with a small music box at the top that played the wedding march. Carl was so handsome in his suit. The black-and-white pictures didn’t do justice to those brown eyes that had captivated Sophie all those years ago. A lump caught in her throat. She flipped the pages and wondered about all the friends who had been a part of the wedding. Where were they all now?
Sophie found her album of high school friends, and articles of interest, thumbed through them, and smiled as she thought of how much fun these would be for the next class reunion.
Then a small wooden box tucked into one corner of the chest caught her eye. Sophie carefully laid aside the other articles, picked up the box, and cradled it in her hand. Slowly, she lifted the lid on the box to see the small ring woven of twine, along with a tarnished silver chain.
“Mom, are you upstairs?” Shirley had arrived.
Sophie jumped at Shirley’s voice. “Coming, dear.” She quickly took both items out of the box and placed them in her pocket, as though she were a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She walked carefully down the stairs, her mind lost in an old memory.
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About the Book
Sophie Writes a Love Story is the second in a series of books created in the memory of my mother and grandmother. My grandmother was given at her bridal shower in 1916 a set of five prints by C. Clyde Squires, a noted pulp artist. These prints depict five stages of love. My mother inherited this set of five prints from my grandmother, and always kept the frame in a prominent place in her home. The first book in the series is an expression of mother love, Annie’s Love. This second book is taken from the picture of puppy love. Sophie Lincoln recently lost her husband, Carl, to a long-term illness, and her children have encouraged her to move to a small house. As she goes through boxes of papers and photos in the attic, she runs across a box containing a ring woven of twine, and a chain. These were a gift to her in her youth by a special boy named Donnie. Sophie’s memories lead her back to her writing to tell a story of adventure with Sophie Writes a Love Story. She begins with excerpts from old journals she kept as a child with references to Donnie and the hideout in the timber, and she weaves the magic of story-telling into the entries she finds. Don Ribold is retired and alone and has become depressed with life in general. A friend convinces him to take up a hobby of painting, long forgotten, and makes an introduction to an art teacher who helps him get back into his work. Sophie and Don’s independence and individual pursuits of the arts will lead them to each other, and to a chance for love the second time around. Books by Linda Kay: “Flavors From The Past: Memoirs of Wilma Weiland Diekhoff” “Annie’s Love” Follow me on my blog: http://senioradventureswithlindakay.blogspot.com Follow me on Facebook: Linda Kay Christensen
About the Author
Linda Kay Christensen, a former farm girl from the central Illinois town of Delavan, has enjoyed many years as a bank manager, a self-employed accountant and tax preparer (CPA), and an online instructor for Keller Graduate School (DeVry University). She earned her bachelor’s in business management and her masters in human resources from the University of Illinois, Springfield. Linda’s history in writing has included everything from business communication, teaching, and journaling to occasional poetry and writing a daily blog. Her inspiration for “Sophie Writes a Love Story” comes from a series of five prints by C. Clyde Squires given to her grandmother in 1916 as a wedding gift. The people that the artist has created in these prints will come alive in Linda’s series of the “Five Stages of Love.” Life in the time of the prints has changed dramatically, allowing for a new look at the stories behind a modern view of the prints.
Linda helped her mother, Wilma Diekhoff, complete her memoirs in a book that includes two hundred recipes from family and friends. Wilma held a book signing at Barnes and Noble at the age of eighty-two. “Flavors from the Past: Memoirs and Recipes of Wilma Weiland Diekhoff” is only available in digital format with various e-book publishers. Linda’s first romance fiction novel was published in August of 2014. “Annie’s Love” addresses mother love in its various interpretations. It is available in digital and print.
Linda is married to Jerry, a former engineer and now a master gardener. They live in Fredericksburg, Texas, and have traveled extensively, meeting many of the characters who contribute to Linda’s writings. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas in Austin.
Follow Linda Kay at http://senioradventureswithlindakay.blogspot.com.