A Heartwarming Letter from a Reader

Hearing from readers who've been touched by something one writes is always a magical moment. I doubt that I'll ever get tired of learning that the long, lonely hours behind the publication of any work have been worthwhile.

In April of 2008, in this blog I reprinted a review of Bernardo and the Virgin that Kevin McCloskey published on Amazon. The reason I did so is because I enjoyed the story-form his review took, and I wanted to share that. At the time I tried to find a way of contacting Mr. McCloskey to ask for his permission. Unfortunately, I was unable to come up with his email address. In any event, I included his review in the following posting: "A Revision Update, and a Story as Review of Bernardo and the Virgin."

And then, a couple of weeks ago, I received a heartwarming letter from Mr. McCloskey. This time, I share the missive with his full consent.


Dear Silvio,

I just found to my delight that you reprinted, on your blog, my Amazon.com story/review of Bernardo and the Virgin.

I was, indeed, inspired and moved by your splendid novel.

When my brother Brian returned from Nicaragua he read it, enjoyed it, and thanked me for it. Then he mailed the book back to Nicaragua to a friend. Oddly enough, Brian tells me he is headed back to Nicaragua next week. This will be his third trip there in two years.

I was extremely worried about my brother when he made his first impetuous trip. But after visiting Nicaragua myself, I extended my brief trip and deepened my understanding the people and the place by reading Bernardo and the Virgin. Books don't often change me, but after reading your book I became a bit less cynical, and somehow less worried about my brother's capacity pursue his own journey.

I am sorry that I am unable to write this note in pure story form. I am an illustrator, so I do love stories, and I am sometimes a writer of small things.

Thank you for writing of bigger things.

Kevin McCloskey
Communication Design Dept.
Kutztown University