Diva Delight: A Map of the Known World, Lisa Ann Sandell

How lovely is Lisa Ann Sandell? VERY! And not just because I'm partial to verse novelists. :~) Or because her middle name is Ann without an "e," too. Her latest work is prose, and it launches in a few short days!



Cora is dealing with the death of her older brother, Nate. Surviving in a small town while trying to unravel who her brother really was, she dreams of distant places she might one day visit. Her passion is to draw beautiful enhanced maps. When Cora begins to relate to Damian, the boy who survived her brother's car crash, she finds truth, friendship, and her own way through her world.

"They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things-I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life's ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There's so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something."

A Map of the Known World is a beautiful contribution to YA lit. The inclusion of art as a means to heal and understand is so well done and uplifting. In keeping with the novel's themes, Lisa has uploaded a virtual gallery. What a marvelous idea! She was kind enough to accept my collage for my latest work in progress. Look for Secrets!

Brava, Lisa! And happy launch to you!

A Map of the Known World
Lisa Ann Sandell
Scholastic Press, 2009