It's never easy to lose a parent. I'm 60 years old and miss my Mom every day. Every. Single. Day. I miss her as a young mother. I miss her living in her apartment in our home. I miss her as a Mémère to my daughters. I even miss visiting her in memory care.
Today, Mom would have been 101 years old. Born on August 16, 1923, Honorine Berard grew up in a large French-Catholic family in Waterville, Maine. She met my father, Raymond Lafreniere, when he was on a blind-date with her sister. In the blink of an eye, they were married and she found herself on a train heading to California where he was stationed during World War II. I was privileged to hear her stories and her simple, deeply true way of seeing things.
To celebrate my mother's influence on me as a writer, I'm offering you, my valued readers and loyal followers, a FREE version of The Toll Road North on Kindle. This edition includes the added short story Réveillon, featuring Lucille's first Christmas as a very young mother. If you own the book and aren't interested in the Kindle version, feel free to offer the link to a friend. Value: $4.99. (Offer expires August 20, 2024.)
Mom's birthday wouldn't be the same without our family-favorite cake. Here's our treasured recipe, complete with a note in Mom's handwriting. Value: Priceless.
❤️