Mary leona gage april 8, 1939 october 5, 2010 was an american actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned miss usa 1957, the first from maryland to capture the miss usa crown. I heard about this book on simon mayos book club bbc radio 2 and was intrigued because it was written by a woman who was a magistrate in criminal and family law. This beautiful book, my name is leona, is on a mission to finally appreciating her unusual name. A moving, understated novel shows sympathy for the mother of all neglectful mothers.
But when their mother falls victim to her inner demons, strangers suddenly take jake away. Name leona rose book event type death event date 12 sep 1956 event place san angelo, tom green, texas, united states gender female marital status married birth date 19 oct 1910 birthplace rowena, texas fathers name ben l willberg mothers name hattie. People and fictional characters named leona include. The biracial child has a nineyearolds agenda, born of anger, and stumbles innocently into a. This common theme of struggling with a name resonates throughout the story, my name is leona by carol gahara harris. She owns her own medical billing and consulting company while her husband douglas owns a commercial art studio.
Choosing a first name is the theme of an endearing new hardcover childrens book, my name is leona. Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our pro connect email alert. And trying to find a place in it all is young leon. And how just when we least expect it we manage to find our way home. The little girls quest of finally appreciating her unusual name won the hearts of this years moms choice awards judges, giving the sweetly illustrated book its coveted 20 gold rating. The theme in the book seedfolks is one small act can affect a whole community. My name is leona tells the story of a little girl who doesnt like her given name. My name is leona gage, will somebody please help me. The dukes of hazzard is on tv and curly wurlys are in the shops. In this story, a young girl by the name of leona is doing what many children do at some point in their life, struggling with her name. Too idealistic and impractical through the use of this name, you would not find it.
This helps explain the level of insight and authenticity evident in my name is leon, her moving and thoughtprovoking debut novel. Leon and maureen are heroes, and i fell in love with them instantly. My name is leon is a story told by a nine year old boy called leon and while i am not a fan of child narrators the book was engaging and a worthwhile read. If this book appeals then you might also enjoy the oneinamillion boy by monica wood. It is a novel that is well worth reading and one that tackles issues relevant to todays world. But the adults are speaking in low voices, and wearing pretend faces. My name is leon is written in prose which emulates the language of a 9yearold and somehow navigates seamlessly between present and past tense. Leon loves his beautiful, goldenhaired baby brother, jake, and is determined to save him from any pain. Vowing to get jake back by any means necessary, leons own journey will carry him through the. Working her way through a variety of other, more ordinary names, leona finally learns how her name came about and why it makes her special. Have you ever read a book about a character that is very unlike you, yet the author has succeeded in making him so relatable that once youve seen the world through. My mom and i love it and everyone who i meet loves it too.
This knowledge doesnt necessarily make for a good story, but in this case it does. We have an exclusive extract available for you to read. My name is leona by carol gahara harris 20, hardcover. My name is leona and i think that this name is pretty in every way.
My name is leona is a hearttouching story and an important one. The name leona means lion and is of italian origin. Leon is nine, and has a perfect baby brother called jake. You are generous but like to see returns from your giving. Amulya leona was born on 31 july 2000 age 19 years.
She was stripped of her title when it was revealed that she was 18, married, and the mother of two children. I am an independent discreet elite courtesan and international travel companion who is well educated, perfectly groomed and always well dressed for every occasion. Leona rose willberg book 19101956 find a grave memorial. Carol is a native of michigan and comes from an entrepreneurial family. Since then, leona had seemed to be one of the most unfashionable of the pride of lion names, but singer leona lewis has done a lot to rejuvenate it. Evoking a britain of the early eighties, my name is leon is a heartbreaking story of love, identity and learning to overcome unbearable loss. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. Dear greatgrandchildren abigail and charlotte, my name is leona choy. All amazon tos are being met the name you give to your child is a gift that remains for a lifetime. Her debut novel my name is leon was an international bestseller, shortlisted for the costa first novel award, longlisted for the desmond elliott prize and won the kerry group irish novel of the year award for 2017.
A vivid and uplifting story about the power of love, the unbreakable bond between brothers, and the truth about what makes a family. The surname leona was first found in leon, where the name originated in visigothic times. They have gone to live with maureen, who has fuzzy red hair like a halo, and a belly like father christmas. My name is leon is a wonderful read and im delighted to be sharing the opening of the book with you today. You are wise and practical with an appreciation of beauty. My three year old loved having the text read to her while enjoying the gorgeous illustrations, and my seven year old was able to read the book herself while also enjoying the colorful artwork. What does name leona mean you always bring to completion anything you start. My time capsule letter given to parents of the twins on sunday, april 29, 2018. At birth, a babys heart beats at 180 pulses per minute. There is an old song titled tell him, leona about a woman who is stepping out on her husband.
Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook free. I had the opportunity to share my name is leona with my own children, and we enjoyed the text quite thoroughly. A short debut novel that i felt had a ya feel to it but i think it is a novel that will resonate with all age levels and readers. The name leona is a girls name of latin origin meaning lioness a top 100 name from 1896 to 1921, leona reached as high as number 72. My name is leona is the culmination of a lifelong dream to publish a childrens book and is hopefully the first of several books to come. Leona is a name thats been used by parents who are considering baby names for girls. My name is leon is in many ways a tribute to kindness. This is an awesome name and would make a fantastic middle name. Many in our family call me bubi which is the short form of the czech language word pronounced bubitchka which means grandmother. Leonas quest of finally appreciating her unusual name won the hearts of this years moms choice awards judges, giving the sweetly illustrated book its coveted 20 gold rating. The big, brave surprise in this book is that it defies the expectation of abuse that it has cultivated yet it.
Lenny henrys production company options my name is leon. The text is written quite well and is appropriate for a wide span of ages. Truly, carol gahara harris inspires me to start sending my own childrens book off for publication. Everyone seems to love this name, but im going to disagree. This book is about a lovely little girl named leona who is not particularly fond of her unusual name. I really liked the simple yet compassionate way that my name is leona approaches this subject. My name is leon will be released by penguin in paperback on 6th april. You are moral, balanced, honest and intellectual, and you may attain spirituality. An important book and a beautiful story told with compassion, urgency, and wit. A childs name can be a sensitive subject and carol gahara harris composed a wonderful message in this book that can help a child be more confident in who they are. Amulya leona is a social activist who came into the limelight for raising the pakistan zindabad slogans at an anticaa protest in bengaluru, on 20 february 2020.