The strand of pearls Janie's mother gave her for her birthday represents the story recounted in Pearls For My Birthday. The thread running through the pearls symbolizes the life journey she took while she cared for her mother who had lung cancer. The pearls are symbolic of the episodes in a daughter's struggle to keep her mom alive, against medical odds.

Anecdotes related by Janie's mother's friends punctuate the book. Their wise tales put a knot of hope between each iridescent pearl Janie clung to, as she was pulled to a new understanding.

Pearls For My Birthday is about love, compassion, and forgiveness between a mother and a daughter, whose roles are often reversed during 9781583487488|Step boldly through the Looking Glass to find yourself in Wonderland, now magically moved to the banks of the Potomac, half a block from Shamalot as the Jabberwock flies. Only yesterday I saw Alice in a paisley pinafore walking down K Street. She wants you to come to the tea party. Bring your own dormouse.

You’ll be hard pressed to keep up with young Willy as he hurries eastward from Oxford to Red Square, then back to the tables down at Maury’s, to Little Rock, then on to the White House, Hilly Dilly at his side, George Styrofoam charting the way. Were there obstacles to overcome?

“The flowers that bloomed in the spring, tra la”—as Willy earnestly explained to a doubting Oprah—“gave promise of discord and strife. A foolish and flirtive fast fling, tra la. You can trust me it don’t mean a thing, tra la. As I quickly nip home to the wife.”

Don't forget that right after the Inaugural Ball the lobsters are invited to be smartly photographed for The Times, for Vogue, for Harpers. Will you come and join the draft? I hope so. You don’t want to miss the puns and the poems, the galloping alliterations, the strange exotic beasts, the triumphant elephants trampling the Democratic grass. The Duchess of Reno is mad as a hatter but the Snark is all smiles. You’ll be too. If you hurry to the party.