When we got ready to shut the library down at the end of March 2020, I went to the shelves and picked out a couple of armloads of books to take home. Some were for me and some were for my kids. Among those I chose for myself were “The Line Between” and “A Single Light”, a duo of books by Tosca Lee.
I knew she was from Nebraska, and I had read the inside cover of “The Line Between” and discovered part of it took place in western Nebraska. That is all I remembered. I started reading and it was surreal. The world was shut down, people were getting sick from a new disease and nobody knew what the future held.
Lee’s pandemic was decidedly more violent than Coronavirus. I would get so lost in the book when I closed it, I would have to take a moment to adjust my brain and remember that I was reading about a different world than the one I was living in. I enjoy reading books about Nebraska by people who are familiar with our state. Lee described Nebraska well.
When I finished both of those books, I explored another series by Lee available on Libby, The House of Bathory which took place in eastern Europe. She wrote “The Legend of Sheba” and “Iscariot.” Lee also collaborated with Ted Dekker on several books. In all, she’s written eleven books and has been on the New York Times bestseller list. Tosca Lee holds several book honors including the Nebraska Book Award and being named a Goodreads Choice semifinalist.
Lee is a Christian author, but she doesn’t write romance. Her books are adventures, borrowing heavily from the good versus evil model. Her main characters are often running and in fear of their lives in the first pages of the book.
The Western Library System in Nebraska is bringing Tosca Lee to our area. You can meet her in Alliance, Sidney and Ogallala in October. The Western Library System covers a large area and these three locations are more centrally located than the twin cities. Lee will appear at the Sidney High School Auditorium October 11, the Kathleen Lute Public Library in Ogallala October 12, and the Alliance Public Library October 13. All events offer an author meet and greet at 6:00 p.m. The actual events begin at 6:30. Contact the Lied Scottsbluff Library, or the Gering Public Library for more information.
The Gering Library has five different Tosca Lee books. Is your book club interested in reading “The Line Between” or “A Single Light” either before or after the author comes to the area? The Gering Library can help you find enough copies for your club to read.
Tosca Lee’s visit is supported in part with funding from the State of Nebraska and from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Technology Act and the Nebraska Library Commission.
Instead of cleaning my house or doing something else useful during the month I spent at home, I read a large number of books. To be honest, it was an embarrassing number of books. I am glad I read “The Line Between” and “A Single Light” at that time, because they gave me an unforgettable experience.