And the winner is.....

I did everything you all told me to do in the comments from this post and the random number generator picked comment number 7; Andi

Wow!!! I'm feeling a tad teary reading that!!
I've not been reading much this year. Mainly craft books, kids books and reading for work.
But I did absolutely devour "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Amazing storyteller.
Send your mum my best.
Andi x

I am actually a bit teary at this stage because funnily enough I went to school with Andi. We lost touch but reconnected recently through our blogs. I am thrilled that Andi and her family will get to read my Mum's book as Andi met my grandmother and knew her in the good times when we were growing up and then when it started to get difficult around the time of my wedding. Funny how things work themselves out sometimes.

For everyone else who entered, thanks so much. Its been said before and I'll say it again, I wish you could all win. Mum's book went into bookshops yesterday and into libraries last week so if it is something that touches you and your family it is out there now.

Finally, my Mum was overwhelmed by the response and wanted to say this;

Thank you so much, Kate for running this giveaway in support of my book. I hope the winner enjoys my book. I know they'll love your crocheted flower and screen printed t-shirt!

I feel quite overwhelmed by the responses from your fellow craft bloggers. What an amazing community. Some of the books people mentioned I'd already read but others I hadn't, so I now have a nice list to explore.

I was especially moved by the commenters who'd been touched by Alzheimer's in their family. It's such a difficult journey, I know. I can only wish you strength. What helped me most was having a close and loving family. Including Kate and Bren and their girls.

I hope you all have a great weekend. We've got Miss Pepper's second birthday tomorrow and a farmers' market in Melbourne.

My Giveaway!!

My Mum wrote a book.
A real book that will be published next month by Scribe Publications and available in book shops all over Australia and maybe one day all over the world.

The book is called Alzheimer's: A Love Story and this is what it says on her website about it;

When the last of Vivienne Ulman’s four children left home, she and her husband were poised to enjoy their freedom. Then her mother’s Alzheimer’s intervened.

In Alzheimer’s: a love story, Ulman records with tender lyricism and searing honesty the progress of her mother’s Alzheimer’s, her own grief over the gradual loss of her beloved mother, and the way in which her parents’ enduring love for each other sustained them.

Into this she weaves an account of her family’s history, in particular her father’s rise from farm boy to confidant of prime ministers — achievements made possible by the loving strength of the woman by his side. In a reversal of roles, he now amply returned this support.

This inspiring Australian story is a tale for the sandwich generation, squeezed on one side by concerns for their children and on the other by anxiety about their parents. It is about illness, grief, and hardship, but it is also about love, determination, and joy.

I have one, signed by the author, advanced reading copy (the draft before the final draft) of Alzheimer's: A Love Story to give away. To make this a gift from me and my girls too I will include in the package a crocheted flower brooch and a t-shirt designed and screen printed my girls.

I am happy to post it anywhere, all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me the name of a book you loved, that inspired you, or you have been dying to read. I will randomly choose the winner on the 23rd of October.

I am so proud and inspired by my Mum and know that I am the type of Mother and person I am today because of the creativity she surrounded us with when we were growing up.