HP_062118

26 | June 7, 2018 | The highland park landmark Life & ARTS
hplandmark.com
Noted Highland Park author visits Northbrook
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
Although she’s traveled the
world and authored several
best-selling novels, author Mary
Morris, a native a Highland
Park, still cherishes her North
Shore roots.
Morris visited her childhood
home and gave an overview of
her latest book, “Gateway to the
Moon,” at Northbrook’s Book
Bin as part of its Books ‘N’ Bottles
event June 3.
A standing-room-only crowd
packed the store to meet Morris
— a graduate Highland Park
High School — and hear about
her latest published book.
The novel, “Gateway to the
Moon,” is historical fiction that
takes the reader from the present
to a relatively little known
period in history that has relevance
to the time surrounding
Christopher Columbus and
his discovery of the uncharted
Americas in 1492.
Morris intertwines both pastand
present-day narratives to
deliver a powerful story of
shared-history to readers.
The look at history the book
offers suggests there might have
been more to Columbus’ reason
to set sail and search for treasures
in the West Indies. At the
very least, it might answer questions
why many people of Jewish
faith can be found today in
Jamaica and Mexico.
“I am passionate about immigrants
and refugees,” Morris
told The Tower. “I became completely
obsessed with the story.
My research enabled me to better
know and understand the
buried history and some of the
forgotten secrets of the Jewish
people similar to many of the
challenges refugees face today.”
Morris said her writing started
when she was in college in
Guests wait in line at The Book Bin in Northbrook on June 3 as
author Mary Morris, a native of Highland Park, signs copies of her
new book, “Gateway to the Moon.” Photo Submitted
France.
“My father gave me a journal
and told me I should start writing,”
Morris said. “It was a very
lonely time then in 1967. Writing
was my salvation and I kept
doing it.”
Morris thought she would
become an academic but never
quite finished her dissertation.
Her writing took hold and 16
books later she is preparing for
the next one on her horizon.
“My first book, ‘Vanishing
Animals and other Stories,’
was a collection of short stories
about my life in Highland Park
and the surrounding area,” Morris
said “I won the Rome Prize
for that but I also like to travel.”
Her first travel book was
“Nothing to Declare Traveling
Alone.”
Morris said she journals wherever
and whenever she travels.
She now lives in New York
but likes going home even
though she now only has cousins
living in the North Shore
area.
“Home has always been important
to me,” Morris said. “I
cannot explain it. Perhaps it
is because of Lake Michigan.
There is a certain magnetism
to it that I have never seen anywhere
else and cannot explain.”
1DOES YOUR
BUSINESS HAVE A
FACEBOOK PAGE?
YES
2
DO YOU
USE IT TO
ADVERTISE?
YES
3ARE YOU
TARGETING SPECIFIC
CUSTOMERS?
YES
More than 50 million businesses
are on Facebook. It’s a great
marketing tool for businesses
big and small. Let’s talk and see
how Facebook can improve your
business!
NO
Facebook has thousands
of users in your area.
Give us a call to help get
you started!
NO
Facebook allows you to target
customers through behaviors,
demographics, and interests.
We can help you with this! Give
us a call today!
GREAT! LET’S TALK AND SEE HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
TO CONTINUE BOOSTING YOUR BUSINESS!
NO
INTEGRATED
MARKETING
CAMPAIGNS
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
For more info, contact: 708.206.5800