Meet the Author

“In my view, The Human Comedy is the best restaurant guide you could ask for, for the era,” suggests Anka Muhlstein, author of Balzac’s Omelette. “Balzac was a regular at some forty restaurants, and he sent his characters off into the most refined establishments, as well as into the lowliest ones. The result is both an ideal Michelin Guide of gastronomical delights (and disasters) in nineteenth-century Paris, and an enchanting introduction to the work of one of the greatest French novelists.”

“A glimpse into the hearts and minds, hopes and fears of women who lived through turbulent times is the gift historical fiction gives readers as we move through our own lives: A connection to people who refused to be crushed by circumstances beyond their control,” writes Ella March Chase, author of Three Maids For A Crown. “This bridge to the past and the lessons it teaches is an ongoing study for me – my addiction to researching the history, especially of women – continues to be one of my greatest passions. It is that passion that has compelled me to write a series of three essays connected to Three Maids For A Crown, in which I will explore in more depth historical incidents connected to the Grey sisters.” 

“Like many people I’ve met,” says Matthew Gallaway, author of The Metropolis Case, “I didn’t know much about opera until later in life, and to discover it was a way to fall in love with music again. I wanted to bring this excitement to The Metropolis Case, so that anyone who loves music – which I like to think is everyone! – might be similarly moved or at least intrigued. Also, because I grew up listening to rock – anything from the Velvet Underground to the Smiths to My Bloody Valentine – I was surprised to hear echoes of rock music in opera (and vice versa), so I also wanted to describe those bridges between the past and the present.”

“Often, patients given a terminal diagnosis reach a surprising, transforming conclusion – you have to be ready to die to embrace being alive. But Lee Lipsenthal tells his story with such intimacy and humanity that this paradoxical fact can be accessed even by those who have not (yet) leaned out over the abyss. To deny death is to deny life. Read Enjoy Every Sandwich to know why.” ~Andrew Weil, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Healthy Aging and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

The funny, irreverent, irresistible Carol Burnett – author of This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection – says, “Patti’s story had me from the moment I turned to page one of the prologue until the absolutely triumphant final chapter . . . . She tells it like it is, warts and all. And by the time I finished reading the last chapter, I found myself giving Patti a standing ovation in the privacy of my very own living room.”

Read It Forward interviews bestselling author Chris Bohjalian, who reveals why he chose to write a ghost story and how he approached writing his characters. “I tended to approach my ghosts with the same basic criteria I have for my breathing characters,” he tells us. “If presented with certain stimuli, how will they respond? What will they do, given who they are? That was what I was thinking about most often. I wanted their behavior to make sense to readers.” He also shares his adventures researching his latest novel The Night Strangers, which included experiencing an underwater simulated plane crash! RIFers in book groups: be sure to enter our very special sweepstakes for The Night Strangers, brought to you by Read It Forward and Cabot Creamery.