b"ThatswhenHouston-Vossknewayoungwidowwhothoughtshehad chapter in her life had closed, givingleft the town behind for a better life. her the impetus to tell her story.Whenherhusbanddiessuddenly, She finished the book in 2018, andsheisleftwithcripplingdebtfrom when it came to finding a publisher,derelict rental properties he had pur-hermotherconnectedherwithachased, unbeknownst to her, in Four friend who owns publishing companyPoints.Forcedtoreturntotheonly Bellastoria Press. Serendipitously, theplaceshecanafford,RobinandherSupporting the individual & creative growthfriend was intriguedher son-in-lawteenage daughter set to work renovat- of each child within a Jewish settingalso has clubfootand agreed to pub- ing the properties. In the process, sheREGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR PRESCHOOL AND CAMP. Call for a tour.lish the book. comes face to face with her past mis- Toddler TimePreschoolExtended Day 9 am - 6 pm ThemessagethatHouston-Vosstakes and with the crumbling house Summer Camp 10 Weeks Please contact Carol Paster, Director, at the Preschool Officewants readers to take away is that itson Whistlestop Road where she lived973-763-4600cpaster@tstinj.org okay to have differences, physical orout her secrets. www.tsti.org432 Scotland Road, South Orangeotherwise. She emphasizes how impor- It took Littell seven years to write tant it is to teach our children that dis- the book, fitting it in between the ev-abilities and accessible devices (canes,eryday tasks of raising her two youngCONGRATULATIONSbraces, wheelchairs) are no more scarydaughters.ShedescribesMaplewood than glasses. As she puts it, ThoughasafarmoreaffluentandeducatedRegentAtlantic is celebrating our my feet have shaped me, I wont letplace than Four Points and had to castcolleague, and South Oranges own, them define me. backtoimaginethechallengesofitsBarbara Bilello, on being named to Crain's New York inaugural list of LGBTQ leaders Margo Orlando Littell covers com- residents with little means and slim joband executives.pletely different ground with her sec- prospects whose only housing optionsBarbara Bilello, Wealth Advisorondnovel,TheDistanceFromFourare blighted rentals. Although the char- bbilello@regentatlantic.comPoints, set in a place she knows well:acter of Robin is purely fictional, she herhometown.Connellsville,PA,says, My goal was to paint a picture ofFinancial PlanningInvestment ManagementPlanned Giving situated50milessoutheastofPitts- a homecoming for someone who had to The Crains award may not be representative of any of Barbara Bilellos or RegentAtlantics clients burgh,isanAppalachiantownthatovercome her demons while also callingexperience with Barbara or the rm or any future experience with Barbara or the rm. The Crains award is not indicative of Barbara Bilellos or RegentAtlantics future investment performance. Please note that was fueled a century ago by coal-and- attention to neglected homes.there is no fee to participate in the selection. See here, https://hubs.ly/H0rpQ7C0, for criteria selection coke wealth and led the United StatesTheUniversityofNewOrleansand important disclosure information.in millionaires per capita. But todayPress, publisher of her first novel, Each its a shadow of itself with nearly halfVagabond by Name, has published this the population living at or below thebookaswell.Littellhadhopedto povertylevel.Haunting,once-splen- replicate the launch plans of the first did buildings dot the downtown.bookbyhavinganeventatWords AlthoughLittellhasntlivedinBookstore followed by a party at her Connellsville since she was 18shehome, but since it was published on left to attend the University of Day- May 28 amidst social distancing, she ton and went on to receive an MFAcelebrated with a live Facebook event from Columbia Universityshe is fas- with Octavio Books in New Orleans.cinated by the shadows of its formerAndthathouseonWhistlestop grandeur.RenamingitFourPoints,Road? Its based on a real home that she tells the story of Robin Besher, aLittell visited with a realtor. Neglect-ed for years, she was able to see past the shoddy renovationsit had been converted to a triplexand ended up partneringwithafriendtobuyand renovatethehome.Coincidentally, Littell sold the house a day after the books debut.You can purchase Loving Every Awk-ward Step and The Distance from Four Points online at Words Bookstore and otheroutlets.Andbothauthorsare available to speak with book clubs. For moreinformation,visitkhoustonvoss.com and margoorlandolittell.com. Ellen Donker loves that our towns are Margo Orlando Littell recently publishedhometosomanytalentedpublished her second novel, The Distance From Four Points. authors. feature story /31"