Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham

 Authentically Izzy by Pepper Basham is absolutely one of the greatest reads of my year.  Izzy is a librarian in her small town and surrounded by a family who loves her.  Brodie lives in the beautiful country of Skymar and his family owns a bookshop.  They meet online and in the story we get to enjoy their correspondence. 

I love stories that are told through letters.  This one was delightful and was filled with texts and emails from Brodie, Izzy and her cousins.  I enjoyed the witty banter, bookish references, and humor woven throughout the story.  It was a joy to bookishly travel to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Skymar to enjoy the delightful people and scenery.  The bookish references were amazing and made this a great story for all who love books.  

With themes of learning to trust, not letting the past dictate your future, and becoming who you were meant to be woven in, this is a thoughtful and pleasurable read.  I loved the humor, format and deeper themes.  I highly recommend Authentically Izzy.  The story publishes November 15th.

I was given a copy of the book by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

I wrote my first story when I was a nine year- old, freckled-faced tomboy in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains (my earlier writings wouldn’t have been considered “books”, more like short stories). Coming from a long line of oral storytellers, weaving a good yarn seemed a typical part of my life. It wasn’t until I finished college, had two children, and a full-time job before I began to study the ‘craft’ of writing (you know when I had plenty of time).

My music-director turned pastor husband took his first senior pastor position eight years ago, moved the 6 of us to Tennessee, where we added our fifth and final kid to the Basham crew. And now we’re in Asheville, NC. Yep, we love the Blue Ridge Mountains.

So…now I’m an older, freckled-faced mommy enjoying life, learning to write, and laughing often. My mom says that I must have a small bit of insanity because I don’t realize how stressed I ought to be.

I’m also a speech-language pathologist who spends her time hanging out with kids who have social communication and language difficulties! It’s a challenge and a blessing – and constantly teaches me about the importance of thinking outside the box!

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