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After reading Leslie Pietrzyk's Pears on a Willow Tree, we had the privilege of meeting her today! For a month, we have been reading and discussing excerpts from this great book which is written in 4 different points of view.  Some of us have been reading about Rose, a Polish woman who came to the U.S. in search of a better life in the U.S.  Others have read about Helen, Rose's daughter, who knows she can never leave behind her mother or her Polish traditions.  Ginger, who leaves her mother Helen as soon as she gets the chance and rejects all parts of her heritage (except for occasional lapses) and Amy, Ginger's daughter who seeks out a new life in Thailand, only to return to the U.S. and seek some closure after her mother's unexpected death.  It was an interesting way to read the book and to learn about our characters through the eyes of the other characters! With the author we were able to share how we connected with the book and characters.  Many of us have someone in our family like Rose, very traditional and wanting to preserve "the old ways." Others connected with Helen and the idea that mothers understand their daughters more than the daughters realize.  Some of us connected with Amy, being adventurous and wanting to see the world.  Maria, Rediet, Yamileth, and Aleka were able to share their personal narratives with Leslie and here her feedback for their writing.  It was inspiring to hear the process that Leslie took to write the book, and it reminded us of how important discipline, being receptive to feedback, and reading a lot is essent




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