Mistaken Identity

I received something unexpected in my campus mailbox--a letter from a young girl who thought I was an author of a biography that she had read. It was a sweet letter, with questions about the author's present-day occupation, and a request for recommendations for other biographies written for the younger set. She also expressed some of her own goals and hopes, and it made me think that perhaps not all children will turn out quite like some of the kids I see in class. For the first time in a long time, I felt less cynical. I am trying my best to find information about the author, but I have some fears that the author may be deceased. I think this book was published for the first time in 1944....and I know for a fact that the illustrator is dead. The book is a Scholastic title, and one in a series of biographies. I sent an e-mail to the Scholastic publishing office, in the hopes that someone will have contact information for the author, or will at least be able to tell me if she is dead. In any case, I will be able to write the girl back and tell her of some sites that are loaded with information about biographies for younger readers, so I am happy about that, at least. I might even purchase one to send to her, by way of apology for being the wrong person. I was very touched by the fact that the girl was so inspired by the book that she took the time to try and contact the author. I wonder if this is what C.S. Lewis felt like, every time he received a letter from an adoring young fan? If so, I can understand why he felt compelled to try and answer every letter.