I’m always gratified  when Chanel Bonfire touches someone and I enjoy hearing their extraordinary stories of  childhoods lived in adversity of one kind and another.

At my Glendale Public Library event, I was introduced by this charming man, Leon Mayer, who runs the community outreach committee there. Leon had read my book, and shared his story with me. When he was ten, his dad died, and his mentally ill mom gambled away their savings on the stock market, leaving them destitute. He ended up in a Jewish orphanage – which he loved. There were three meals a day, a bed with clean sheets ,he played sports and went to school. He went on to become a lawyer. It was a pleasure to meet this dapper fellow.