Friday, December 3, 1999

"Dad, you'll continue to be my teacher."

A. Manette Ansay never intended to become a writer. Originally, she hoped to become a concert pianist. But a rare muscular disease that struck when she was just 21 presented her with the opportunity to re-evaluate her life. Writing became as much a lifeline for Manette as "a ways to get my head back on my shoulders."

The person who understood Manette's thoughts and fears most at this time was Manette's father. At 21 he developed tuberculosis and eventually lost a lung, which changed forever his plans to become a farmer and instead inspired him to become a businessman.

"My father was the only person I'd really listen to," Manette says. "At the same age I was, it seemed like all doors suddenly slammed shut. He kept assuring me you will find a door, you will find a way. Whatever happens, there's something coming for you... I believed him because that's what had happened for him."

That something was writing, and when Vinegar Hill was published, Manette's father devoted his business skills to ensuring the success of her novel. He packed a suitcase with copies of the book and good reviews, then drove from San Francisco to Seattle, visiting 78 bookstores up the coast to promote it.

"My dad started out thinking he would be a farmer, and he ended up an entrepreneur. I began thinking I was going to be a concert pianist, and I ended up being a writer." From the end of one dream, a bigger one was born.