Amanda Hughes, Author of Historical Adventures and Historical Romance

I brought The Fountainhead by Ann Rand along to read on the plane on the way to Oahu and Maui. I have been hearing about it for years and would like to hear other readers opinions about it. The story held my interest, but it was long and sometimes preachy, lots of political philosophy which I believe could have been accomplished in fewer pages. Of course, I always have to bring movies into it. The 1949 version somewhat suits Gary Cooper as the strong silent type, but he was best as the common man. I also think Raymond Burr and Patricia Neal were miscast. I would never call Neal beautiful and Dominique Francon was supposed to be breathtaking. That concludes my two cents worth.

I have been silent for a month, traveling and gathering new ideas for my books. I have been reading like mad too. I don't know if I commented on this before, but I read Angle of Repose, a wonderful historical novel with a terrible title. Wallace Stegner won the Pulitzer for it and it was terrific. It was about a snooty aristocrat who joins her huband out west in mining camps during the later half of the 19th Century. Over time she changes and comes to love and appreciate her husband and the beautiful surroundings the American West. I hightly recommend it. I believe more people would read it if he hadn't given it and engineering name!