Faith Holly HallThe story of my mom's life, of my parents' life together, and of our family is a story that has messages of blessing for anyone struggling with their own life experiences. Susan Vreeland has brought deep understanding, caring, insight and humor to the individuals in my family. She has portrayed our lives and human natures accurately and with sensitivity. Susan's careful examination of the dynamics of our life events is touching and true. I always thought I would have to write this book because I felt that Mom's story needed to be told. Thank goodness Susan Vreeland came into my life! She has written Mom's story as I would have hoped to. I'm so grateful she did. Hap (Alanson Perry) HollyWhile I am hardly impartial, every time I've read the book I have found it engrossing, wonderfully poignant, and an emotional roller coaster Author's NoteTo bring you up to date on the four children, Forrie is a hydraulic engineer and retired professor. He lives with his wife and son in Tucson, AZ. Faith is an Interfaith Spiritual Director and artist. She lives in Bend, Oregon with her husband. Their two grown children live nearby. Will is a Leer Jet and Challenger Fleet manager. He lives with his wife in Carlsbad, CA and has three children and four grandchildren. Hap is an audio engineer transcribing for the visually impaired, and an Internet content provider. He lives with his wife in Des Plaines, IL. Jean and Forrest were both born in 1918; Jean in Bristol, Connecticut; Forrest in Lafayette, Indiana. Forrest passed on in 1984 at home in Nogales, Arizona, where they had moved upon retiring to live near his sister Alice. Jean passed on in 2007 at home in Bend, Oregon, where she had moved in 1988 to live near her daughter Faith. I've had the profound privilege of knowing them all and interviewing Jean, Forrest, and Faith at length during the four years it took me to write the book. Hap graciously prepared an audio tape of his recollections and made it available to me. I am deeply grateful for their permission, as well as for their candor, support, and love. I was also able to visit Hickory Hill in Connecticut and meet relatives there as well as in California. What Love Sees was broadcast as a CBS Sunday Night movie in 1996, produced and directed by David Rosemont of Rosemont Productions, with the screenplay by Robert Freedman. Richard Thomas played Forrest, Annabeth Gish played Jean, and Edward Herrmann played Jean's father, Morton Treadway. The real Jean, Faith, Will (Billy), and Hap were given the privilege of being on the set, and were moved by reliving episodes in their lives and seeing them made into film. The cast embraced and honored them wholeheartedly. I had the pleasure of appearing for two seconds as a wedding guest. No other novel I've written has the power to bring up such strong emotions as I've felt in preparing this section of the website. I'm profoundly thankful to RosettaBooks for making it available again to the reading public.
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