KATHERINE NEVILLE’S
Cherry Blossom & Chess Newsletter
March 22, 2021
The Cherry Trees of Montglane
The opening scene in The Eight is set in a cherry orchard, just at this time of year: around Spring Equinox, when the buds here turn from red to pink as they open. These past two years, I’ve written Cherry Blossom newsletters: March 2019 and March 2020 about the fascinating symbolism of cherry trees, as described in The Eight and its sequel, The Fire.
To get in the cherry blossom spirit, here is a film I made of my 50-year-old Japanese cherry tree, planted by the famous Japanese potter, Teruo Hara:
New Blossoming of “The Eight”
(the Book)
While I have been in Zen retreat, writing my new book during the Plague Year, my first book, The Eight, has been blossoming on its own all the way up to this Vernal Equinox.
A few of the more exciting and interesting items you will now find on my website (under “News” and “Books: Honors and Awards”):
- The Eight has now received more than 13,300 Five-Star reviews on Goodreads!
- Other Books: Honors and Awards include: The Fire received the prestigious Nautilus Award, The Eight was selected for National Public Radio’s Audience Picks: 100 Best Killer Thrillers, and Amazon included the The Eight in their top “100 Mysteries & Thrillers to Read in a Lifetime.”
- Some recent articles that pay tribute to The Eight include: Early Bird Book’s “Seven Books About the Thrilling Game of Chess,” “The Eight Best Adventure Books to Satisfy Your Inner Swashbuckler,” and “Seven Classic Thrillers Featuring Fierce Women.”
- The Madwoman’s Book Club — inspired by The Queen’s Gambit mini-series and created by two-time US Chess Champion, Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade — has chosen The Eight as its April book club selection! I’ll be joining their group to discuss The Eight on April 16th. To learn more, see News on my website.
- International Thriller Writers will be filming a video of me and my fellow NY Times bestseller, Gayle Lynds, discussing our “Research Techniques” that will be aired as a highlight of this year’s (virtual) Thrillerfest in July.
Happy Springtime!
