Thanksgiving had always been Ali Berg's favorite holiday, but this Thanksgiving would be very different than any from her past. This year, Ali spends the holiday alone in a mountain cabin, reflecting on her life since losing her husband and young daughter ten months earlier. When Ali's seemingly idyllic life is suddenly and irrevocably changed, she struggles to understand her anger and her shame and looks for a way to ease her grief and rebuild her life. Much to her surprise, the search for a future leads back to her past. A stormy night, a classic movie and a vivid dream combine to provide Ali with the desire to recall and reclaim relationships with significant friends and mentors from years gone by. She begins to wonder if she ever thanked these incredible people for the positive impact they had on her life. Determined to express her gratitude-however belated-Ali decides to write each of them a personal letter of appreciation. Driven by an overwhelming desire to personally deliver these special thank you notes, she makes a daring decision to undertake a year-long, solo road trip across America. Anchored and empowered by the unfailing love of her parents, siblings and best friend, Ali forges ahead. Her journey takes her to destinations as diverse as a small farm in eastern Washington, a heliport in Montana, a speakeasy in Nebraska, and a prison in New York. Along the way, she gains new insights about herself and what it takes to survive the loss of a love. This ultimately uplifting and inspirational story will warm your heart and engender gratitude for the special people in your own life.
About the Author: In my heart-of-hearts, I am a teacher. Unfortunately, I don't possess the temperament to be happy or successful teaching in a traditional classroom setting, so I have always found other ways to fulfill my perceived vocation. For many years, I developed and presented workshops on topics as varied as personal budgeting, leadership development and catechism. Someone once pointed out to me that storytelling is the most powerful and well-received form of teaching. That's one reason that Jesus, among other great teachers, used it so liberally and to such effect. Since that time, I have dreamed of coming up with an entertaining and inspiring story that would allow me to share some of the life lessons I've learned. In particular, I wanted to tell a story that would elucidate the role of gratitude in creating and living a joyful life. Since I Last Saw You is the result of that desire. Thanksgiving-the most underappreciated holiday on the American calendar, in my opinion-seemed like a perfect backdrop for such a tale, and is featured prominently in my novel. It's my hope and my dream that Since I Last Saw You becomes a holiday tradition- a story that readers will want to revisit year after year and share with their families-much in the way that watching It's a Wonderful Life is for me. ... Author Alice Ann Kuder writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her essays have been published in the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. As the Telltale Scribe, Kuder interviews individuals from the Greatest Generation-those who grew up during the Depression, then survived World War II- and has written mini-biographies for their loved ones. Alice is a native of the Pacific Northwest and now lives in Seattle with her dog, Tess.