The Right Woman

Many years ago, in 1991 or 1992, I saw the Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco in the children's section of my favorite, but now kaput bookstore. I remember that I began wiping away tears on the page that said...

After her mother had sewn her a new one, she took her old dress and babushka. Then from a basket of old clothes she took Uncle Vladimir's shirt, Aunt Havalah's nightdress, and an apron of Aunt Natasha's.
"We will make a quilt to help us always remember home," Anna'a mother said. "It will be like having the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night"

I dated many women in my 20's and early 30s. And to many of them I gave copies of The Keeping Quilt. I had in mind that if one of them cried upon reading it she might be worthy of a present of "...a gold coin, a dried flower, and a piece of rock salt, all tied into a linen handkerchief." That is, I would ask her to marry me. I must have bought this book for a couple of dozen women. Not one of them cried. Eventually, I stopped buying books for the women I was dating.

A few days ago I ordered an autographed copy of The Keeping Quilt from Alibris. It is a new edition, updated to include the latest generation, but it is still the same story.

Tonight I read it to Athanasia. She cried.