But in truth, my own children were very young when their dad and I separated. In addition to consulting experts and friends and family members as our family navigated the bumpy terrain, I also sought books that I hoped might help my own kids make some sense of the upheaval. There really wasn't much of any substance available at the time, and so I started writing a story about a young, spirited girl who is trying to sort out the confusion in her own life. As is so often the case, she discovers that despite the pain, joy and laughter as well as hope and forgiveness are threads still woven through the fabric of her family's life. Fiona gradually comes to understand that although her family will never be what it once was, her parents remain forever linked to each other through their love for her and her pesky little brother, Sam.
Like Fiona's parents, my former husband and I worked hard to be full partners in our children's lives. It was often difficult, but in the end we rarely wavered from the admonition of counselors and mediators to always "put the interests of the children first." Doing so was often easier said than done, but I have no doubt that taking this approach helps ensure healthier, happier children who have through no fault of their own had to endure the trauma of divorce. Like Fiona, all three of our kids know beyond doubt that their father and I will always be there for each of them even though the two of us could not find a way forward together.
THE STORY BEHIND THE TOP-SECRET JOURNAL OF FIONA CLAIRE JARDIN
It's important for the world to know that The Top-Secret Journal of Fiona Claire Jardin is not about my daughter, Hannah Bayer! Poor Hannah. She had just turned eleven, almost the exact age of Fiona, when the book was published in 1998. There were other similarities between the two girls: Both played soccer and softball. Both had a black Lab puppy. And most important, both were struggling to make sense of their family lives in the wake of their parents' divorce.
There's nothing more mortifying (well, at least I can't think of anything at the moment) for an eleven-year-old girl than believing her life and her family are on public display. Although many of Hannah's friends read and raved to me about The Top-Secret Journal, she didn't crack it open for years. And who can blame her?
