My name is Mrs. D. and I am an author of children's books. I write because I have something to share. I write because maybe someday, someone in this world may need my experience. I write for one simple reason. I love how it makes me feel: free.
Good Morning, World! is A FINALIST IN THE READERS' FAVORITE CONTEST in both categories:Children - Preschool and Children - Concept.
Go Baby Thomas!
The Trees Have Hearts is A FINALIST IN THE READERS' FAVORITE CONTEST in both categories also : Children - Grade K-3rd and Children - Educational
Honored! Cross your fingers!
I am so excited to officially announce that my first short story, The Little Girl Praying on the Hill, is a finalist in the 2014 Readers' Favorite annual International Award Contest also! The Little Girl Praying on the Hill made it to the finals in both categories as well: Non-Fiction - Short Story and Non-Fiction - Inspirational.
What an honor for a girl from the Carpathian village in Ukraine, who could hardly write a shopping list three years ago. I do not want to wake up...Someone pinch me! Read more HERE:https://readersfavorite.com/2014-finalists.htm
This review is from: The Little Girl Praying on the Hill (Kindle Edition)
“The Little Girl Praying on the Hill” by Olga D’Agostino is rather a unique story in which a young girl narrates to readers an overview of her life as she was growing up. The girl resided in an agrarian society, served by a small town, with a single church situated high on a hill.
As should be the case, the opening sentence in this book sets the stage for the rest of the tale. That sentence is: “I was born in a strange place, beautiful to look at but hard to live in.” Throughout the story our young narrator juxtaposes her vivid descriptions of the natural world around her, with her laments of the harsh life faced by villagers and farmers alike.
This story is not a book children will appreciate, nor is it a full blown novel for adults. In both content and character, it is well suited to middle-grade students, and possibly of greater interest to girls than boys, although that is my own prejudice coming into play. (Hey, I’m old. What did you expect?)
“The Little Girl Praying on the Hill” is a very realistic cameo of post-WWII rural European life. In that regard it should also be of considerable interest to history buffs, particularly those who are most intrigued by that time and place. The apparent lack of any “modern” conveniences in the context of this story also serves to make it relevant to many places in today’s world, where people still live much the same as did their ancestors hundreds of years previously.
At no point in this story did D’Agostino suggest she was telling of her own childhood, or possibly her mother’s childhood. However, if I were a gambling man I’d be happy to lay down a bet that such is the case. I was expecting a children’s book, as that is what D’Agostino usually writes, but finding a little slice of life at a different time and place was a most delightful surprise.
I cannot decide which genre best fits this story. That notwithstanding, I can and do recommend this as being both entertaining and educational. All readers with an interest in the so-called “good old days”, or intrigued by how different life was before iPads and Facebook, should take the time to read and savor “The Little Girl Praying on the Hill” by Olga D’Agostino. It may help you keep your own life challenges in perspective.
She spent a lot of time alone, or so it seemed to the people in the village below. Every day, she would take the sheep up to the top of the hill, where she would spend hours.
In her mind, though, she was not alone. She spent hours with her friends–the princess in her glorious cloud castle, and the mercurial companion, the wind, who sometimes teased, sometimes tormented her. Life was good–
–until her daydream was interrupted by a furious someone who angrily reminded her about forgotten chores.
Back to the sad reality–a life in the mud, surrounded by poverty and hopelessness. There was little room for sadness; when her younger sister died, her own dress was taken for the burial. The little girl mourned only for the dress that had been taken away from her. There were no tears for the sister.
In a world where despair reigns supreme, a child’s mind turns to prayer. But when the help isn’t immediate, faith must carry her through the difficulties of an “unfair” life.
I have read several of Ms. D’Agostino’s books, and this has to be, by far, my favorite. None of the whimsy and cuteness of her previous books are in this offering. However, her light-handed way of writing turns what could be a dark and depressing time in her childhood into something magical. The little girl, obviously the author, has a gift for daydreaming; which naturally led her, as an adult, to her gifted ability to tell a tale like this. The reader can’t help but be absorbed into the story. With prose such as:
“My wind was a mysterious friend. He was a most virtuous player. I loved watching him play with the green grass that grew near the forest. He played his music with a gentle whisper, taking my breath away. When he hit a higher note and touched his invisible strings with his tender stroke, the green grass strained like arrows, making the most wonderful sound that rang in my ears the entire day.”,
how can one not be captivated? Such descriptions! No wonder Ms. D’Agostino is an award-winner.
This review is from: The Little Girl Praying on the Hill (Kindle Edition)
I am a long time fan of Mrs. D. children's books. I was quite surprised to find out that she is writing for the older audience also. The Little Girl Praying on the Hill is the heartfelt story of a little girl, who was born on a farm in the Soviet Union in the post WW II era. The story describes the life of an innocent child, who tries to survive heartbreaking reality by escaping into her imaginary world, filled with beauty and kindness. A world where there is no place for evil, hate, or pain. People call her strange, because she is different from the children in her village. Unlike other children who resigned to the sad existence, the little girl has a hard time to accept her real world. Two parallels of her world are running closely to each other. One escapes ahead and opens her soul, and lets out pieces of her painful memories. The desperate child questions God. Why the real world does not look the same, as it exists in her imagination, untainted and innocent? Why does she look to escape into unreachable places? Why does God punish her people? The first parallel exposes the happy moments of her life, but her second parallel is catching up with her poignant memories, full of sadness and pain. Her innocent imagination distracts her from the sad world, but the second she opens her eyes, the visible line between beauty and ugliness leaves nothing, except emptiness.
In a short period, the author opens up two worlds to the reader, the beauty and kindness, the sadness and the ugliness. Just like parasites, her two emotions feed on each other. The beauty complements the ugliness; the happiness complements the hopelessness. By creating the beautiful imaginary world, Mrs. D'Agostino purposely distracts us from her depressing reality, full of bitterness and frustration. Before we know, she plunges us back into the misery of the little girl's life, filled with desperation and disappointments. With each page, I relived the life of the struggling child, overwhelmed with the factual world. It amazed me how the search for love and acceptance made the little girl realize her journey. I absolutely love how the author portrayed the little girl's imaginary friends. I felt as if the wind became my friend, the wheat field became my home, and the sky became my escape. The author surrounds the reader with astonishing imaginary pictures and sad reality at the same time. When the little heroine flows in her beautiful imagination, I cheered her up, but when she must return to the dreary life, I felt crashed. This soulful story kept me in tension to the last word. It felt like a breath of wind, strong, emotional, and deep. It would not let me relax or become indifferent. The two worlds of the little girl beautifully complement each other; the personal made me cry, the imaginary lifted my soul up to heaven. I am glad I had a chance to relive the life of this little girl and discover a new Mrs. D. I read this short story a few times, just to feel the spirit, energy, and emotions. This moving story made me think.
Have you ever felt alone – always on the outside, looking in? Have you ever wanted to make new friends but felt unable to reach out? Have you ever wanted to be included in the activities of others but somehow were always overlooked?
Imagine how you would feel if you were a beautiful little girl – alone in a new country – unable to speak the native language. How sad would you feel if no one would talk to you – play with you – try to be your friend?
What would you do?
That’s the story behind The Trees Have Hearts by Ms. D – winner of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award.
In The Trees Have Hearts, our young heroine turns to nature and uses her imagination to make new friends and learn to rise above her challenges. In the process, she discovers strengths and inner resources she never knew she had – and learns the true meaning of friendship.
The Trees Have Hearts is written from personal experience and is one of my favorite Mrs. D. Books to date. The illustrations by Juli Hasegawa are gorgeous and bring the story to life!
If you are looking for a beautifully written, beautifully illustrated inspirational children’s book for someone special – you can’t go wrong with The Trees Have Hearts!
Create With Joy is an inspirational blog that celebrates creativity in all its facets! When you visit, you’ll find art and crafts to enrich you; mouth-watering recipes to entice you; books and resources to engage you, and so much more! Create With Joy inspires you to live each day to the fullest, and to infuse creativity in all you do!
Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop 2014
This giveaway is part of the Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop 2014 – an annual event hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews and Youth Literature Reviews. What better way to celebrate Children’s Book Week than by visiting these dedicated children’s book and teen literature bloggers, authors, publishers and publicists for a chance to win fabulous children’s and teen books, gift cards, cash and other prizes? Be sure to enter other Children’s Book Week Giveaways hosted by: Create With Joy
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