>> william barr will testify before the house and senate judiciary committee's on the mueller report. life wednesday and thursday may 1 and second on c-span3, c-span.org or you can listen with the free c-span radio app. you are watching tv on c-span2 for complete television schedule visible booktv.org. you can also follow along behind the scenes on social media booktv on twitter, instagram and facebook. >> hello everybody and welcome. it's great to have you all here at our third girls night out. i want to welcome everyone who is walkin watching from facebooe

and we're also being taped by c-span. going out nationwide. so i want to send a warm welcome to our guest tonight. reniqua allen with american spirit in a debut album beyond the point. before i turn it over to the zoo, a few housekeeping's. if you have not bought raffle tickets, please do so. we will be drawing renters at the end of the talk. you can get a ticket for the next event as well as a $50 visa gift card for your next book cup heather. feel free to get up for snacks and drinks throughout the talk and at the end we will have time for questions. if your posting to social media please tag book club girls and

book club girls night out. in addition to american spirit, you will get copies of the novel, if only i could tell you, which we are publishing next fall. you're also getting a copy of the wonder of lost causes which is a novel we are publishing later this month. that will make you cry as well. [laughter] but it's very inspirational. we have booksellers set up right over here, while it was 29 degrees this morning, mother's day is a month away. without further ado i'm going to turn it over. >> thank you. [applause] welcome everyone to book club

girl, our night out with teo kyle and claire gibson. i am totally in all and nervous about being on this panel. i just think it's going to be to wonderful authors. first i'm going to introduce them and then i would ask questions and we will get the conversation enter conversation flowing and then "after words" we will open it up to you all for questions. so first i want to introduce taya kyle, she is the author of american wife, and founder of the chris kyle foundation. honoring her late husband chris kyle, the navy seal and author of the bestseller american sniper in american gun. the foundation is devoted to strengthening the marriages of veterans and first responders. and publix pete speaker at

fundraisers and other events inspiring others for strength and perseverance through struggles. she and her two children live in texas. and claire gibson is a writer based in nashville, tennessee. born and raised in the u.s. military academy at west point she grew up captivated in the beautiful hudson river valley and long dreamed of writing a story that honored her childhood home and what inspired her there. her compelling stories of these experiences have been featured in the washington post, the science monitor, the tennessean, and many other publications. this is her debut novel. [applause] welcome to these two marvelous writers. i am going to open up the conversation and whenever i do these panels, we open up to the audience, they always asked the

first question, where did you get your stories ? i was really interested when i was reading taya kyle's book, you came to woman stories during nonfiction and you came to fiction -- but you both there are stories of people who have to find strength and inner strength when they least expected it. how did you both come to the stories that you're telling. i guess that's my question. >> i think you're exactly right. there is a definite commonality here. it speaks to the ripple effect in the world. if we keep our eyes open to it we see there is so much good being done in the world and we can be taken off guard and we will look at the news or hear people talking or see things on social media, it seems like

there is not that much good in the world. but we have in common that we see there is a deep goodness of people in a ripple effect when you see that, i think is ill compelled to share if you can. we'll have different gifts but i think i'm coming to understand that one of mine is communications. in telling other people stories, i am naturally moving captivated by them. you're right there women in here, women in here, children, mothers, musicians, sports players, all different walks of life's and they made the offer and through great pain sometimes comes the greatest triumph in the greatest inspiration in life. we would not sign up for it and if i love you dearly i would never want pain to come to you. i also would be missing a lot if i did not notice the blessings and how much those things change people.

i would guess that a lot of the hardships from the people you saw also inspired you and now in turn you're writing a novel that will resonate with people that inspires that. to me, i am very deep in my faith and that is how god works. he shows you that the darkness does not win. and while darkness comes he is light and he will bring it to his people if you watch through. we can have different things and it does not change. i don't believe god is selected that way, he brings it through all to continually show us the darkness does not win. especially if we keep her eyes open to how it does not win. >> i totally agree. this is really bananas for me to it be in this room and i've already cried once because a friend in the back there is one of the women that deeply inspired this novel. so the way i got the story in my stories is a lot what taya kyle was talking about. this room is full of stories

because of the number of people that are in here. all of you have three novels in each of you there what you have experienced. but not everybody is a writer. when i got started with beyond the point, i started writing freelance stories and from what i know as a child growing up in west point he contacted me and asked if i'd be interested in interviewing them. since i'm a curious person i said yes thinking maybe it would turn into a magazine article or newspaper story, and the more women i spoke to, the more women i wanted to speak to you and the more content i had in the more thought this cannot just be a small story, this is something way bigger. i was very lucky to have their support to put their stories together in a composite way to create this novel. >> claire, i have to ask you -- because i am also from the

hudson valley, what was it like growing up at west point? i know your father taught there right? >> i was born there and then we moved away and we moved back when i was ten years old and i lived there until his 60. if you not have a chance to go west point it is so close to where we are right now and i would highly recommend it. it is totally beautiful, unit buildings that look like hogwarts in as a kid i had the run of the place so i can walk out my back door and watched kids jumping out of airplanes, blowing things up, running around in uniform, as a child it was an extremely inspiring place to be. as a teenager i was looking up-to-the-minute women that were a few years older than me doing incredible things. when 9/11 happened we were living there and we were 50 miles away from where this horrible strategy occurred.

everyone that i knew and everyone that we loved new that that was going to change their trajectories forever. and many times in ways that we cannot expect. so growing up there was incredible times, it took me almost six years to write and publish this book which i realized the other day is nearly as long as i lived in west point in the first place which just goes to show the funny way that time works because her childhood is such a formative time and i will never be able to repay the women in the country for the experience of getting to grow up there. >> speaking of the country, you talk about american spirit and that's the title of the book, i was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what you see as american spirit? >> i always have more to say. i think we all have friends or loved ones in our lives and we see when they're angry or hurting. what they really need for us to do to heal them is to see their

soul. they need us to see past anger in the hurt. i think that is what this is to me. this is looking at america insane i see here angry and hurt, but i still see your soul in your spirit. i see the goodness and i see the way people are using their freedom to love the neighbors. this is truly the majority of what is happening in our country but it is not the majority of what we hear. especially, if you are in grief -- like claire said we all have our own stories and own struggles. i think they're exasperated by living in a place that is destined to go down or we will lose everything that made us great. at some point in the last decade we probably have all felt like this is the end. and it isn't. if we would focus a little bit more on what is happening with our neighbors and knowing that you showing up matters.

barbara allen is here and she does something called american snippet and johnny is here and he does operations. they are doing great things in the world. and i think barb said it today, just showing up is more than half the battle. when you see someone hurting, let's not look at somebody else and say how are they going to solve it, or the world will end because is not being solved. do something. there are people that are so busy legislating the way we want people to behave and that is fine, there is a need for that too, but i'm also saying what if we step away from that, we don't really have as much control as we think. what if we solve the problem legislative and attack in a different way. what if we show up and help the person next to us going to that. that is an american spirit. the people from children all the way up. they are doing really great things and it usually just started one. they started saying i can see a person suffering not do something. or i suffered so greatly i have to help the next person. they usually do not intend to have a big movement happen. some are not a big movement,

sometimes you just get to see the ripple effect of one small thing and how it affected an entire community. it people with their eyes open and willingness to bring love and what i think is the best of the american spirit. i see the goodness and i think the american spirit is really good. i think we are missing it right now and not looking at the goodness. >> as i was reading it, i think every person gets one of the stories that they latch onto. i really latched onto the dream makers. and i forget the person same, but i remember how they saw a need for people who agent of the system and they don't give you a lot of support and they kinda did this -- is not a huge program i don't think, but it's getting bigger, where you help -- explained.

because i was really into this. >> that is jim of an air entering american sniper and american wife he is author on this none of those projects would be if it wasn't for jim. he is certainly one of the biggest blessings that i had not only with friendship, skill and talent and his ability to keep coming forward. i could not have written american wife at the time and he said just talk to be. so i just talk to him. he is an integral part of the appealing to american sniper and american spirit. jim and lori are the dream makers. they are phenomenal people and they have adopted a number of kids and their stories is great. the impact that you said, it

breaks my heart because it started with good intentions but the problem is if you know adopted fully you're at risk of being abated again. an abandoned child fears worse than an abused child. i cannot believe it because the worst thing in the world is for a child to be abated. at least if you abuse someone you do not lead them. and as terrified because i thought abuse would be the worst thing in the world. but when you see that a foster child is in no home, out of home, another in a position where they don't want to be rejected. so the behavior will worsen and they are in charge of the rejected. there is a group that says that's not right so what will we do. because when the age out there not even out of high school. when they turn 18 they are done. number foster care support, no support from anybody. and not all foster homes are great everybody, sometimes there's abuse or two. so they did something about it, to your point you latch onto the story like that because there is something in you that resonates

in you can feel the pain of these children and think what if that would've been me, how different would my life be? >> i was reading a story earlier today. and i remember lori said she had two passions to care for orphans and to make other people care for orphans. i thought that was the best quote and just really resonated with me. >> i was wondering, you brought up faith, could you both talk a little bit about the role of faith in your writing. that sounds so easy but or off, the role of faith in your life and how do you see and how you might see it -- and clear you talked about it, how it connects with people who are often in the military. they almost were not going into

the stuff they do. >> beyond the point follows three different women characters one is named haner and she is a pious young woman from texas. >> texas women. >> there so pious. >> she comes from an army background in a christian faith background, and the other two women, danny is from midwestern ohio family, she's a sports phenomenon and academics phenomenon in african-american hometown hero. and avery comes from a lower middle-class background and she is out to prove everyone wrong and forge her own path. these three girls are very different but haner fisher is one of the faith driven friendships. and i thought it was interesting during the editing process because they said can you add something that why somebody

that's a question with white to self in the military. and that's a funny because i never even considered that would be a question. but it made sense when you ask because first of all, there is such a gap between who serves in the military and the majority of the civilian population. there is not a lot of overlap. second of all, i think christians first and foremost, are called to be peaceful people. the bible is full of guidance to living a life that is caring for the outsider, caring for the foreigner, caring for your neighbor and i think that the military and the american military has changed a lot in the last 20 years. but i believe -- especially where this book starts in 2000, our military very much stood for a peacekeeping force. and i think these women in the book and i know my family because we were a military family, our faith helped us believe that we were serving a greater purpose in bringing

freedom and bringing liberty to other places in the world and creating a safe place here in our own country so that people can pursue whatever they believed was there past. i think christians often feel a call to service because they want to protect and defend the right to believe what you want to believe. >> i think it's fascinating. you have these three women and they are very, very different. but ubc stories on real people. did you mention one of them is here today? >> yes. the anna and sarah stand out. these two women are two west point graduates that have gone

on to have incredibly careers and they both have served in their stories deeply impacted me. and they are very much -- [applause] >> i look at this more like when you see the family, what would make anybody go to west point, and then how would you make a woman go, oh i'm marching. no makeup, but it's not like that really. [laughter] >> it was fun to read that it's sort of in many ways a regular college experience but more than that. >> those women back there might. [laughter] >> a lot of dating and a lot of the usual angst you have in your grades. >> you're still 18 years old. >> it was such a commitment. that was one of the things i was

so initially fascinated about when i read your book. i was wondering if you guys could talk a little bit about -- could i say something right now are real quick. >> i'm sorry, jumping. >> i just wanted to say one thing, i have always felt strongly that our warriors and you ladies and people in service, it's a right to freedom. freedom of religion, freedom to talk about it, not freedom from it. and when i say that i am so passionate about that because i have friends of different faiths. jewish friends, mormon friends, and i'm good with that. i think it's really cool that we can have these conversations with each other and talk about it. and i have friends who are not believers in atheist, i'm fine with that and i think the beauty of having freedom is that we get to talk about it. at one point in my life i didn't want to be challenged but now i'm okay with it. if you challenge me and i have

to look for the answer i dive deeper in and make sure of it. for me my faith is such a part of my life that i do base my life on it and i would not want to base my life on something that could not withstand the challenge from science, academia, every single angle, has to be able to stand that to base my life on it. so i found that during the american spirit book is important to have those people of faith. and also people of not of faith. that the american spirit. the american spirit means you get to believe what you want to believe. we don't always have to to everything we think. but we have a freedom to do so and with that i think that we all express herself differently, we bring different gifts to the table and that's part of why i wanted to do this to show that our spirit and the freedom works. if we all get about a breach of this grill we will be back.

i remember when i grew up, we did not talk politics and religion and now it's bumper stickers and facebook. it's not that there's no place but the healing comes from looking at how we are similar and that usually there someone who disagrees with you and if you have a peaceful conversation you're not as far as every think you are. because you get people who usually are somewhat in agreement. >> you actually say, a quote in the book, i will read this, i love this quote. this is from american spirit and i forget who said it specifically. every action, large or small, has the potential to spark someone else's movement. i love that. the idea that we can do something very, very small, it's sort of what you're talking about with the ripple effect, it can become a larger thing in our lives. i think both of these books have people -- in fiction and nonfiction who do that smaller thing and it becomes -- you can

go out there and create your own movement. i love the whole idea. >> i did to because i don't know about you, but have you had the time in your life where you wonder what your purposes or are you enough for doing enough in this area or that area, and the mind bully think when i got into this is that you be in you the way you were created and being the most grateful version of yourself is everything. that is it. that is what your purpose is to do. because you never know if these two gorgeous woman at west point are just being them and then claire is here to throw it out into the world. or that is a story in here that there's a guy who donates a homeless shelter and you don't know and that way you know him as a trump lover. and you dial back where did that come from from you, he said when i dial back my grandmother. he had a rough chil childhood ae

and his grandmother was awesome. and these people and come to work crossing the railroad tracks and she made these images and put them on the ledge. she could've lived her whole life saying i don't know if i live my purpose, but you know what, she's just as much a part of the homeless shelter blessing 70 people in long beach, california. that's what gives me chills all over because we sometimes doubt that we are doing enough and what i would suggest to you is that you be in you is the most grateful version of yourself is more than enough. you just probably won't know how many people that touch. >> for my goodness. i'm sort of out of questions. which is unusual for me -- i've a question for claire. >> i tell you i never run out of things to say. [laughter] >> one, did you marry someone in the military? >> that's hilarious. >> i tried.

[laughter] my family moved away when a 16 years old and alter my college and college years i had connections back to west point and men that were attending west point and i dated a few and i said this before, but i felt like i held onto those relationships until they were just crushed. there were other plans for me and i do believe that when i moved to nashville and met this guy that had this thick red beard. [laughter] and he is kinda like my height which blew my mind and i remember we went to the gym first time together and i looked over and i said patrick, what are you doing? and he said push-ups. and i said that's not a push-up. [laughter] i don't know what you're doing but the sound pressure. and now we don't go to the gym together. but patrick is wonderful and he

is home now with her 16 -month-old son and i am so unbelievably blessed by a man who has been a huge champion for this book and i came up to new york many, many times to meet with women and get inspiration and help and meet with editors in he has been a big supporter. >> it is clea claire not gorgeos inside and out? funny and eloquent and looks like she's 20. [laughter] >> that leads into my second question, i don't have a way secures so i can't wear your outfit but could you please stand up and ship it then your fabulous outfit. if this camouflage a-line skirt is fantastic seriously. did you make that or find that? >> billy reed is a southern designer and he has a store in nashville and i walked in a few

months ago and it was sitting on iraq i don't care what it cost, i don't carry do, i have on my instagram, i have been cataloguing anytime i see camel out the wild i will take a picture of someone wearing it because i think it's because it's such a trend and it reminds me of my friends and the people we have lost and so it meant a lot to be able to find something that i could wear to a book event. is my first time wearing it tonight. i worked to some meetings in l.a. where we have sold the rights to this book. >> i can't say who bought it. but it's fun. >> so i was going to ask you both, each of you in turn what is next for you?

books or life or anything? >> i have a children series coming out this year, i'm very excited about that. i've also got television project for american wife abc right now it may happen, and may never happen but it's nice that somebody has been watching them for a while. and they came to me, i would not thought that would work but i said if you think -- >> and something nothing happens and then one day your taping. >> the more we talk i think, that does make more sense. and i mom first and we have the chris kyle foundation and i have

all these ideas and all this excitement and i'm sure a lot of you are creative and have all these things that you want to do and my biggest problem is rating under bringing myself in. i have a podcast that a friend of mine who has amazing energy and yet i thinking why we don't need another podcast. there are billions of pockets. and then it keeps -- so maybe i'm entertaining it. but other than that i think that's about -- i am writing a devotional but i don't know if that will ever materialize. i sat down one week and i have 50 or 60 days in a week and i was like this is amazing. and maybe i'll get that but i'm not that person i lose my to do list. >> wow. [laughter] i thought i did a lot. >> is not like any of them have happened. [laughter] >> it's inspiring to me. i am working on the beginning part of a new book which i'm really excited about during the

process of writing beyond the point my husband and i faced a long infertility battle which are talked about publicly so as not a shocker. but it was really challenging and it turned into a long journey that led us to adopting our son, sam. over the last few years it has been really interested in other people's adoption stories and the stories that are coming out right now because of technology like 23andme and ancestry.com that are leading people to discover their biological roots and unexpected biological roots in dana schapiro -- >> happened to someone i knew. >> i've connected with a woman and similar beyond the point i've decided that it was my calling to take the stories that are so inspiring and to put them to the page in a way that can translate to a larger audience and so i have been interviewing women who have connected with their biological families and i think there is a novel there, something like this is us meets the sound of music or something like that.

[laughter] >> awesome. >> good pitch. >> we can sign a contract. [laughter] >> i am going to open up the floor to questions. i believe i will have to repeat the question. so, i will repeat the question for the tape and everything. i am sure you guys have questions for these authors. >> don't be shy. >> go for. >> bradley cooper's eyes are that blue. [laughter] >> my life is literally an open book. sam's adorable, clint eastwood is cool, do i always take a shower every day, no. [inaudible]

[inaudible] >> i really appreciate that question about how my children are doing and adjusting to the loss of their dad. that has been a fascinating part of this journey. i think from the minute i found out the thing i dreaded the most was having to tell them. he was such a good father and such a good husband and i just thought, this will wreck their world. and really what i believed in, part of the beauty and this is seen that there are so funny and happy and strong and faithful and we talk about chris all the time. it's such a natural thing that if he was there with us and yet is not like an obsession either. it's a very natural thing. if it comes up it comes up, if it doesn't it doesn't. they have a soulfulness to them

that is part of inspiration for this book and certainly the children series because i realize these kids are so much more mature and so much more soulful and wise in the world from having survived the tragedy of losing their dad and also friends before their dad died. we had some preparation about death and pray for families and does life go on after death. in some ways the pain around us prepared us also for the pain -- is certainly prepared me. i truly do not believe i would've survived if i had not seen widows that went before me. i don't know how i would've done it. that is part of this divine weeding. god knew well in advance and i see the places that i look back at how he loved me enough to give me the soft nudges. i was think, if your child was about have an invitation, and the doctor said has to happen and i will not be able to stop it what would you do? you a problem beforehand, hold them through, and make sure that

they so good how life could be "after words". i see that as part of it. my kids are funny, they are mature, generous, way better than i deserve. so well adjusted, full of love and faith. i'm kinda blown away by it and i think they would've been great kids anyway but i do -- i can't ignore the fact that they are deeper, more compassionate people for it. and so solid. the thing that bothered me as a kid, they know what about days. i really true with trade it all to get chris back i really would. . . .

it is an honor to meet you. i have to ask everything before was due you do to get back to your scheduled to get yourself grounded so you keep as much consistency in your children's life as possible flex >> i'm honored to be in the room with you. you are a warrior. [applause] spigots interesting. i grew up in a home where things were very scheduled and i have a rebellious kind of nature to me anyway and part of me realized there is no plan.

i could've told these stories but i don't need to tell them personally. i think i almost went too far the other direction. you plan and get devastated so i went to this other extreme and realized my kids have a way of bringing me back where they said sometimes i don't want the plans to change and they had their own grief and process and surprises and so we came to this kind of way we play what we can but i do not tolerate any whining if things don't go your way like are you kidding me? so we tend to have a sense of

humor about this thing pretty tougit i'm pretty toughon that e don't help them be tough now, they are screwed later so the flexibility and consistency are things consistent love. i had a psychologist on the ones when i wasn't consistent and you need to do this and that it's like really i'm barely breathing right now. she said even if you are inconsistent consistently, that works and i was like whoa, you know. [laughter] like nine times out of ten she's going to forget what she just said. [laughter] they know and grow with it. god knew when he gave these kids toomey and he has provisions for

them. i've tried to allow myself off the hook for that. we don't play every night from every morning and every day that we do get a prayer and i try to keep it conversational. they havyou have to love know ty are loved no matter what. not one day goes by and in my mind i think that is enough. you will know that our faith is part of our life. they seem to have made it very clearly for them selves at this point. other than that you have eight kids in the husband of the military. [laughter] you are smiling and have had a

shower. >> you are pulling it off beautifully. [laughter] a wife and military mom or your children interested in going into the military and if they did how would you handle that? because it is definitely different. >> we had enough time to talk about so many things before he was called in to talk about them in depth and one thing that we agreed on is our kids have their own path and faith is a part of every bit of my life so i believe that it's their job to pray and find their path. i don't want to step on that in any way shape or form so i have

been honest with my son and sometimes i will be like what i want you to go into it with your eyes open and if that is what you choose to do that's what you choose to do. also a pediatrician told me once that i think it is important today that your kid no if they die that you would never be the same. you would never be okay. that helps prevent suicide. we never think it's going to be our kids but they have to know that and mine done that for a number of reasons because i was worried about depression or all these things that come along with it. i could barely see if now if something were to happen to them knowing any day any one of us could go. so they know their path as their path and my job is to be a big grow whatever they decide to do with the love and support. so i don't know. sometimes my son talks about it in the sometimes not.

i would reiterate everything you said i think it's interesting in researching for this if you are in a military family you are more predisposition to serve in the military and i have an opinion the war tha of the war e currently fighting in iraq and afghanistan would have ended afar long ago if we were not relying on an all volunteer army and the burden has fallen deep deeply. there will be change to foreign policy and they both will have been before our children have to make those decisions but again i

trust that my child will choose this path. i would be in tears and i would be really proud. >> thank you for your patriotism and sacrifice. [inaudible] >> that is a great question. my husband has a night mask on his bedside table because i'm up late reading. i finished a nonfiction memoir author that released a book called no happy ending she is a

widow that writes very beautifully about her experience. she is funny and laugh out loud and proud and then i also just finished another that blew my mind and was so great. i'm going to read dani shapiro's inheritance. >> full confession i buy books all the time. what i'm finding the truth of it after christ died i didn't want to watch anything serious, and i definitely didn't want to do anything crying or drama.

at this point i'm thinking i'm looking for may be a funny book and every single time i opened the first page to read it i don't know what to think. i love books and i will read the parts of them. i do audio books all the time because if i'm driving or cleaning the house or something that is a good way for me to get it, but the last one i think that was the peak performance which is amazing because i'm done and i'm still thinking into the whole point is you need to give yourself a period of recovery. maybe i've done that too much. i'm afraid there will be parts that will tear up my heart. can we read it without crying? >> i think you should read the book for sure. >> what should i read is very funny one anyone can recommend?

>> the gallon is about queen elizabeth's wedding gown. >> i am reading marie benedict the book about petty lamar. i am reading that which i love because i loved her other books and i really did this one. and they read a book called kennedy. you can tell i love these kind of historical novels. >> i was at the airport and i had my finger right here like i can't do it. >> i don't know when but maybe in the next five years i'm going to read it.

>> if you buy it, it counts. >> i will buy it. [laughter] i'm reading davy jones is. it's not about stevie nicks. >> did you ever read the series you don't sweat much for a fat girl? [laughter] >> i don't think they could publish that today.

we have time for maybe one or two more questions. >> did you ever consider applying to west point? >> [inaudible] i considered going to west point. you can't not consider it when you are there. you drink the kool-aid and believe if you want to be in portland this is where you would attend college but i think after some soul-searching i remember one night talking to my mom i said i think i'm supposed to go to west point and she said if

you are crying about it you may not want to. then my family moved away and i had a fan to be chance to see other paths but i always wondered whether i have stepped up to the challenge. i'm very competitive but also very emotional and i'm not sure it would have been a good combination. i am a woul only would have suri graduated in 2004. really though it's taught me i could have made it because i would have made friends that would have slapped me when i needed slapped and helped me up when i needed to get up. writing this has been incredible because it's given me the chance to live vicariously through these characters and now i feel

like i have the best of both worlds and it's been the biggest gift of my life i never thought i would have the privilege to have. i am so grateful. i'm glad i didn't go because here i am. [laughter] >> i would have never made it. [laughter] i told my dad at one point after college i think i'm going to sign up for the military. he was in the marine corps and said no. i thought why is that a bad idea and he said you can't handle authority. she's a prosecutor in the military like no.

[laughter] i think just one more and then, if there is one more and then we will wrap it up. you cannot feel ridiculous. like i said, first of all i love you i have to tell you that. i care a lot and i think two things you should remember, i think that lon mom guilt is from satan, truly i believe that and i think that if you can do anything to let go of that and let go of your fear and turn it into faith and remember on your hardest days my belief is there are two things your kids need, they need to know they are loved no matter what and i believe they need faith because the

leaves her home with those two things your good not everything will be perfect, not everybody is going to get to dance recital on time. you can't be in all places at all times but you love them and that is the primary need. that's it and just do your best. before christ died i had organic spinach in my shopping cart and contrast holidays and all this stuff out the dough. we call it the chubby years like they went through that period we let it all go and buy them back at a happy medium i love the organic stuff and the other stuff. does that kind of answer your question? [laughter]

i want to say thing you. i took away from both of these books the feeling that these are people who do not necessarily go out and say i'm doing an extraordinary thing. they are doing the best they can and they are doing extraordinary things and the novel and the nonfiction they show it in different ways but that was an intersection i took for both of the books.

i've met some of the most amazing people that are not defeated by money or status and certainly not a celebrity but the desire to have a relationship with each other and to do good. life is hard for them they've taken a lot of the heavy burden you don't have a lot of money but they lead very inspiring lives teary at >> sunday at eight eastern on c-span q-and-a.