Dear Reader,
It’s hard to believe that it’s the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Great Gatsby, often cited as the Great American Novel. April 10th to be exact.
The backstory on this book is almost as fascinating as the novel itself. Fitzgerald’s masterpiece was on its way to obscurity by the time the United States entered WWII. That is, until a group of librarians, authors, and publishers selected books to send to troops overseas. These special Armed Services Editions were paperbacks small enough to tuck into soldiers’ fatigue pockets so they could carry them through the rest of the war. The Great Gatsby was one of the selected novels, and this relaunch of the book put it on a path to becoming an American classic.
I have my own Gatsby book. I got the seed of an idea when I overheard a conversation at a wedding between two friends about a first edition of the novel worth more than $400,000. That kicked off the very beginning of my writing, and as my novel progressed, the Armed Services Edition would have an important role in the plot.
Here’s the old cover, which I did love for a long time.
Here’s the new Kindle cover from my publisher Vinci Books that I love even more.
For those of you who like to review books and haven’t read Searching for Gatsby, I’m happy to send you a copy if you’d consider writing a short, honest review. Just reply to this email to let me know.
I can’t wrap this up without sharing the latest from our wildlife camera. It’s Peachie, our outdoor cat, returning from some successful hunting, I’m sure!
Best Wishes!