I was born in the Middle East and lived there the first thirteen years of my life. The people of Iran, where I grew up, value family and friends above most things. I have learned that nothing is as important as relationships, both Divine and human: not writing, not succeeding, not finishing my to-do list, not even reading my favorite books. After Jesus, people come first. Love is more important than accomplishments or pastimes. I was almost fourteen when we moved to England. Half of my family still lives there. When we first moved, my English was limited. I became fluent while attending Princess Helena College, a boarding school for girls in Hertfordshire. So although I’ve lived most of my life in America, my accent still has shades of the Queen’s influence. That, and a bit of Persian. Americans usually ask me if I’m Irish. The Irish ask me if I’m American. The real answer is that I’m a citizen of heaven. I became a bookworm when I was very young. Most of my pocket money went to buying novels. It still does, come to think of it. I would not be who I am today without books. In fact,…
