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As I mentioned yesterday, besides Janet Majerus’s book which comes out next week, we’re also celebrating the publication of Jana McBurney-Lin’s first novel, My Half of the Sky. I’m thrilled for Jana and can’t wait to see her book.
I mentioned that she and husband Hui-Hui lived in Singapore at the same time I did, in the early ’90s. Our connection is a bit older than that, though. When I first joined a law firm after law school, I let it be known that I was interested in international work and an overseas posting. It soon developed that the firm was going to open a Singapore office, to be headed by George McBurney. Before he left Chicago, I made a point of getting to know George and making sure he knew of my interest. I believe that, plus the general support of my boss, is what brought my name to the attention of the firm’s managing partners. A year later when it was time to send a young lawyer to Singapore, I was selected. The bad news was that George’s tenure in Singapore was ending sooner than expected and we overlapped only a week or so. Flash forward a few years to my brief stint in the law firm’s LA office. George is now in LA also and he and his wife Georgianna invite me to their Malibu home for various family gatherings, where I meet various McBurney offspring, including Jana. Flash forward again and I’m back in Singapore, and now Jana is there with husband Hui-Hui and a growing brood. We’ve been in touch ever since, corresponding about our respective publishing progress.
Which brings me back to the book. The Bookstack has it on order for me and I hope they get it next week!
