John Vaillant's 'Continent Song'

Hi Seb -

We met an eon ago - give or take. It was at Joanna Settle's home - John's wedding.  I was with Marc Cory and his daughter Jesse, from Grand Ledge.  I had lost touch with Joanna and was saddened to read of her passing.  She was such a remarkable woman.  I am still in touch with Jesse Cory.  At John's wedding, Jesse was ten years old and spent most of that day playing with the doll house in the attic of the big house.  She's now a college graduate, a social worker, happily married and about to have a baby.  So, although 'an eon' may be a little hyperbolic - it has been a while. Tempus Fugit and all that.  

One of Jesse's favorite memories is of John playing the guitar, teaching her his 'continent song' - and of all of us (Marc, you, John, Joanna and me) singing it on Joanna's back porch.  It was Jesse's pregnancy that sent me on my google search for Joanna.  I was daydreaming about Jesse teaching 'The Continent Song' to her baby.  Do you remember it?  Personally, all I can remember is ".......Aaaaaand EUROPE!"  :-) 

I have been following your career and have enjoyed your books enormously. So did my husband. He was on the Foreign Affairs Committee when he was in Congress and was a special envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa under Clinton and Obama. Despite my best efforts to get him to slow down - he kept right on working - flying back and forth to Africa and in the 'trenches' until he died last year. I have a hunch that's one of the reasons he related to your writing.  You are cut out of the same cloth.  He thought 'War' was one of the most brilliant things he had ever read and recommended it to just about every diplomat he knew. Howard (his name was Howard Wolpe) was a pretty smart cookie and a wordsmith himself, so you should take that as a whopper of a compliment. :-)

That's all. I just wanted to pass on Howard's rave review and reminisce about 'The Continent Song.'  Now, I'm off on a cyber-search for John.  If you know where he is - feel free to forward.  

All the best,

Julianne Fletcher