Dear Virginia Euwer Wolff,

As I walked into the library one crisp October day, I was looking for a new book to read while I tried to get to sleep at night. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just something that would help pass the time while I laid in my bed, waiting for the rush of the day's activities to stop pulsing through my body. I had no idea when I picked up True Believer that it would be anything out of the usual. That night as I picked it up and began to read, I saw my life being played out through LaVaugn. It was as if I was looking into the water seeing a reflection of my life, only slightly distorted by the waves. I wanted to reach out and touch it, to see if it was real, but I was afraid. What if the water was too cold? I almost put down the book right there and moved on to a different one. The story was far too familiar; what would I do if it had an ending I did not like? Would that be my destiny too?

I set the book aside, but my curiosity got the best of me. I reached into that water to test it out and found myself being sucked in. I watched as LaVaugn played her game of life, the past her opponent and the goal a new happy life of her own. I saw each and every one of her moves and how they ended up going against her when her opponents, Myrtle and Annie or Jody, countered them. I was witness to all of these attacks, and felt from the pressure building above me, but I was caught. I could not put the book down.

Suddenly, LaVaugn's luck changed. Her life was starting to straighten out. Hope was mounting inside me as I watched her work around broken friendships and lost crushes. There was something gnawing inside me telling me I could do the same thing. I became LaVaugn's apprentice, watching her every step of the way, trying to copy what she did, so I, too, would be able to succeed in life. As I made this careful watch, I realized that she was not working these miracles on her own. She had the support of her classmates and guidance counselor. She had the hope of her teachers. But most of all, LaVaugn was lucky enough to have the counsel of her mother, her personal life coach. I thought of my mom and the disagreements we often have. Then I thought of what she goes through every day for me. That alone gave me the strength to break free from the hold of the water. I found myself swimming up higher and higher. When I was safely back on the land, I once again looked into the reflection I saw in the water and one of the ripples I had seen before seemed to disappear.

I now know that my mom is my life coach, too. She will always be by my side helping me make the best of everything that comes my way. I may disagree with some of the calls she makes along the way, but I realize now that she has my best interest in mind. She wants the win as much as I do. People often say that a friendship lasts a lifetime. I owe that lifetime to you, for your portrayal of the characters in True Believer. Without them I do not think I would have connected with my mom in the way I did.

Sincerely,
Kristen Carnahan

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