To You, With Love

When I read a book, I am just as interested in the dedication page (or the "My Thanks To" page or sometimes the Afterword) as I am in the book itself.

It doesn't matter what kind of book I pick up--I first look to see who it is being dedicated to, and this little piece of information gives me a peek into the writer's world and into what/who she thinks has made a significant contribution into her life and the life of the book.

I am now randomly grabbing 5 books off the shelf, and here is what this sampling reveals:

Some dedication pages are simple: "To Lisa."

Some are longer:

"To Rich, Madeleine, and Wanda, who now dance and sing in heavenly places."

"To my wife Janet, who manages to tolerate with grace the neuroses that seem endemic to those who make a living by the introverted task of writing."

Some are more cryptic: "To Andrew, who has dared to cross the drawbridge."

Some are wise: "Thanks above all to my family. Now I understand what Katherine Paterson meant when she said, 'The very persons who have taken away my time and space are those who have given me something to say'."

The weirdest dedication page I've seen recently caught my attention last week. Luke was reading an Amelia Bedelia chapter book, and inside on the front page, the dedication read: "To Belinda, my lover." Somehow, that just didn't seem right inside a children's book!

Finally: I may have to write a book someday just so I can construct a dedication page. Anyone else like these little writing gems?

Jana