The past belongs to everyone who was there. What do you remember? ADD YOUR STORY
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2009 was a good year for the Welches: Dan met Lindsay, his fiance, I married Gideon, the love of my life, and Diana had Harvey–the first Welch of that generation–making Amanda the coolest grandmother/aunt in the universe. And that was all BEFORE our book was published on September 29th, 2009.
That day, all four Welches met up in Washington DC to begin the launch on the Diane Rehm show. That interview still gives me goosebumps! Diana turned 32 the very next day and we celebrated in Brooklyn before our book party at the Pyramid on October 1st. That weekend, we read to packed and teary-eyed crowds in Bedford, Rye, and New Canaan ,where we were hugged by countless familiar faces. Thus began our marathon book tour that zig zagged across the country. I am still in awe that 90 people came to Aldo’s in Greenport, 80 to Books Inc in San Francisco and another 30-plus in Los Angeles, where I also had the giddy pleasure of taping a show at NPR’s Market Place with Diana and shaking hands with Tess Vigeland and Bill Radke!
Even more thrilling was seeing old friends in Oxford AND Greenwood, Mississippi, and then Essex, Vermont where Libby and Deb, two sisters with a very similar story, drove more than two hours to have their books signed. Deb marched up to me at the Pheonix Book Store and said, “I’m Diana” and then Libby chimed in, “and I am Liz!” Their brother is actually called Dan, and their Amanda could not come, but our story touched them to their core as they too lost their parents and were separated after the deaths. They have one more sister, and all five siblings are closer than ever. They are more than all right, too. We have heard from so many people who have similar stories, and still receive daily emails from friends, fans, and folks who knew us or our mom.
Other 2009 highlights include a jam-packed reading at the Hotel San Jose in Austin where Diana cast her friends as her siblings. Following suit, I did the same at The Half King in New York where the literary stars who blurbed our book read for Dan (Sean Wilsey), Amanda (Heidi Julavits) and Diana (Daphne Beal). My dear friend, the author Laurie Sandell, blogged about it, God Bless her.
That was the start of the holiday season and our gifts came early–Amazon chose us as one of their Best Books of 2009, as did Sean Wilsey for Salon. Vanity Fair did us double honors: First by asking us to read for their Reading Room series, and then by choosing our book as their “Top Ten Books to read on your Holiday vacation.” I wrote the Op Ed story about my mom and the death of soap operas on a lark, never thinking they’d actually go for it… imagine my surprise when I learned that the story would run on the same day our mom died, December 13th, twenty-four years later. The emails came pouring in–Judy Lewis, John Cunningham and Courtney Simon and other acting friends of mom shared beautiful memories of our mom, as did the son and daughter of Mary Stuart, the star of “Search for Tomorrow.” People got in touch who adopted our pets after dad died, a caddy sent a hilarious note thanking us for the book, and recalling how he more than once carried our mom’s golf clubs at the Bedford Golf and Tennis club. Those stories are precious as each memory of our mother fills in a new blank spot, offering us a rare glimpse of a woman we knew not long enough. (The caddy called her a stone-cold fox, John Cunningham, her husband on “Loving,” said she was the most graceful of women.)
What else? Well, Megan Flinn and Lizann Rodes, two friends from Georgetown, hosted a reading in my honor at Megan’s home in Pennsylvania where 60 friends came to listen to me read, with Megan channeling Diana, and Lizann doing an excellent Amanda. The following day, I had lunch with the GREAT Pat Towers, formerly the Features Editor of O Magazine and now hosting her own radio show, Reading, Writing and Definitely NOT Arithmetic, of which I had the GREAT honor of being her first guest. There are so many more amazing things that have happened over the past few months–from our appearance on Good Morning America to the surprise Entertainment Weekly spread.
All this to say, we Welches are thankful for all the love and the support. And for one another. May 2010 be as happy and healthy and full of giddy surprises for everyone.
Just a note to say I LOVED LOVED LOVED the story of your lives. I have 3 young kids and made time to read it in 3 days. Your story has inspired me to be a better sister, mother, and friend. Best of luck to you. Keep writing.
My son’s girlfriend gave me your book for Christmas and I could not put it down. What a fabulous book – funny, heart-breaking, inspirational – I wish I had known all of you. My heart ached most of all for Diana. How wonderful that you are all close and “all right”! A true happy ending! Congratulations to all of you on a great book and for overcoming so many obstacles.
thank you Jill! We LOVE LOVE LOVE getting your email! so thank you for that, and for reading our book! Diana and I are already starting to think about our next books… so thanks for the support on that front too! I will share your kind words with all my siblings. Happy and healthy new year to you! All best, liz (on behalf of her siblings)
Hey, Leslie! Don’t let your heart ache TOO much for me! I did, after all, have the privilege to be born last in a line of awesome siblings who are still, to this day, my favorite people on the planet.
Thank you so much for writing!
I just happened to pick this book up at the library in the new non-fiction section. I normally only read fiction. I hardly have time to read with two young sons, but I stayed up late into the night and read through the next day to finish this incredibly captivating story. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story!
Just finished your book after having started it before Christmas and not getting very far at all. Picked it up again yesterday, started at the beginning again and with the South Carolina “snow” and ice that we had today was able to finish it. What a fabulous book! I lost both my parents one when I was 25 and the other when I was 43. I have a sister 2 years older who doesn’t realize the importance of siblings sticking together or even at all. One day I hope she figures it out before it’s too late. Today I’m thankful that the 4 of you know that! I am blessed, though, to have a fabulous husband and 2 fantastic teenagers that are the best family a girl could ever ask for!
With love!
Wow, Sandy – as the mother of an infant, I really appreciate your losing precious sleep time to read our book! Thank you so much for writing in, and for the kind words.
It’s true, Yvette! “All for one, one for all” is still the Welches’ informal motto. Maybe you should send your sister your copy of our book? If you saw that relevance to your own life, perhaps she will, too. We have heard from folks that our story really helped solidify their sibling relationships, so who knows? Maybe that sis of yours’ll wake up and stop taking your presence in her life for granted.
Congrats on your happiness! And, man, I miss snow days. We don’t get much of them here in Texas.
I just finished your book, it was wonderful. I cried several times, but I had to put the book down when you told your mother you love her, and she replied “I love you more”…….I had to go call my mother and tell her I love her. she says the same thing. Thanks also for all the quiet time spent reading your book and not doing what I was supposed to do! Ha! Love it so much. Thankyou
Dear Laura, thanks for your kind message! That line gets me every time! And I am so glad it is inspiring other folks to reach out and tell their moms how much we love them… I am so happy I was able to do that for my mom. And I am so happy you did it for YOUR mom! Keep spreading the love! All best, liz
I loved you book. A great tribute to your Mother and Father for the Kids Are Truly AllRight. Stay close and God Bless you all
p.s. I have been raving about your book and telling everyone your story. You are all inspiring.
Susan! Jill! And Leslie! A belated but big thank you to you all. Susan, thanks for spreading the word! Jill, thanks for being inspired, and Leslie, thank your son’s girlfriend from us! she’s got great taste! (in men and in books!) I am happy to report that we are not only all right, we four welches are closer than ever. In fact, I am headed down to Virginia next week to see all of my siblings! We will be reading together at the Festival of the Books in Charlottesville… thanks a million to you three for the kind words and support. Lots of love, liz
What a wonderful bookclub choice…..and even more wonderful to know you all survived it with such grace and love. I wonder what Mrs. Chamberlain thinks???? Is she mortified to have her nastiness aired in public????
I hope so !!!!!!
And Karen……..what about her? Is she still an important part of your lives?????
Thank you for sharing……many people will see parts of themselves in your lives and printed words…
Warm regards……Kat
I recieved your book from my daughter-in-law for Christmas .. and I am almost finished it .. AMAZIng ! .. and Bravo to you guys!
Dear Kat,
Thank you so much for choosing our book for your club! We haven’t heard from the Chamberlains, though we hope that one day one of them will add his or her story to the Your Story section of our website, as members of the Hayes family did. Karen is still a part of our family – she’s actually heading down to Virginia to meet Dan’s new son Jackson any day now!
thanks again,
Diana
So glad Diana ended up back where she belonged.
p.s. I have been raving about your book and telling everyone your story. You are all inspiring.
Great, inspiring story. Thanks for having the courage to share it with us! So glad you are all doing well & best wishes from another book group in Northern California.