Listen to an Audio Sample

Listen to Elizabeth Phillips as she brings to life an excerpt from the forthcoming audio book Thread for Pearls by Lauren Speeth. Audio version of the critically acclaimed book available where all fine audio books are sold.

Meet
Lauren Speeth

Master storyteller Lauren Speeth has shared her stories in film and print over the years with audiences around the world, to critical acclaim. Her storytelling interests run the gamut, from books about the American experience to 3-D films about Irish spirituality, to music about love and life. In this, her first novel, she shares what she has come to understand as the fundamental human experience of resiliency and hope. When not dreaming up stories, Speeth leads Elfenworks Productions, LLC, a pro-social business with internationally acclaimed media content, and The Elfenworks Foundation, where she has assembled a team of social entrepreneurs of the highest caliber that work together daily on projects that foster the greater good.

Articles

•  Spinning a Story with a Soundtrack
•  WBZ Radio Interview (audio)
•  Advice to Authors
•  My Grandmother Was an Elf!
•  Becoming a Writer of History
•  Themes Of Hope & Resilience To Tackle Teen Suicide
•  Big Blend Radio: Author Lauren Speeth and Vocalist Josh Pfeiffer
•  Giving Cancer the Cold Shoulder
•  The Romance of Our Nostalgia with Lauren Speeth (See audio below, starts at 4:30)
  

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Thread for Pearls
Playlists

Thread for Pearls, a novel of historical fiction was set in the '60s and '70s, times were so steeped in musical creativity that they cried out for a playlist. Enjoy!

Suggested Playlist – Oldies

• America – "A Horse with No Name"
• The B-52s – "Rock Lobster"
• Joan Baez – "There But For Fortune"
• The Beatles – "Blackbird," "Golden Slumbers," "It Won't Be Long," "P.S. I Love You," "The Word," and "Wait"
• Jorge Ben – "Mas Que Nada"
• Jackson Browne – "Rock Me on the Water"
• The Byrds - "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Eveything There Is a Season)"
• Bobby Caldwell – "What You Won't Do for Love"
• Chicago – "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
• Alice Cooper – "Welcome to my Nightmare"
• Country Joe and the Fish – "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag"
• Crosby, Stills & Nash – "Ohio," "Our House."
• The Cyrkle – "Red Rubber Ball"
• Skeeter Davis – "The End of the World"
• The Eagles – "Hotel California"
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) – "From the Beginning"
• Fifth Dimension – "Aquarius"
• Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons – "December 1963, Oh, What a Night"
• Grateful Dead – "Box of Rain"
• Albert Hammond – "It Never Rains in California"
• Elton John – "Philadelphia Freedom"
• Carole King – "So Far Away"
• John Lennon & Yoko Ono – "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"
• The Mamas & The Papas – "California Dreaming," "Monday, Monday"
• Scott McKenzie – "San Francisco"
• Don McLean – "American Pie"
• Napoleon XIV – "They're Coming to Take Me Away"
• Peter, Paul & Mary – "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?"
• The Rolling Stones – "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Mother's Little Helper," "Paint It Black," and "19th Nervous Breakdown"
• Simon & Garfunkel – "A Hazy Shade of Winter," "America," "The Boxer," "Fakin' It," "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall," and "Patterns."
• Cat Stevens – "Peace Train"
• Talking Heads – "Once in a Lifetime"
• James Taylor – "Fire & Rain"
• Wings – "With A Little Luck"
• Stevie Wonder - "Higher Ground," "Ngiculela/Es Una Historia/I Am Singing"
• Yes! – "Roundabout"

Suggested Playlist – Classical

• Bach – "Sheep May Safely Graze"
• Corelli – "Christmas Concerto"
• Handel – "Messiah"
• Handel-Halvorsen – "Passacaglia for Violin/Viola"
• Mozart – "Ave Verum" and "Aleluia"
• Vivaldi - "Gloria in Excelsis"

Also Noted in Novel

• Johnny Cash – "You Are My Sunshine"
• Miles Davis – "Kind of Blue"
• Judy Garland – "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
• Woody Herman – "Your Father's Mustache"
• Scott Joplin – "Maple Leaf Rag"
• Henry Clay Work – "Come Home, Father"

Book Club Questions

Thank you to the book clubs who've asked for questions to consider. Here are ten that may be of help... enjoy!

1. Fiona's parents appear to make a conscious effort to educate their children and not "dumb things down" for them. Do you think this aspect of their parenting style was helpful or hurtful? Should parents make complicated concepts more basic for children, or should they give a more educated answer?
2. The "benign neglect" style of parenting popular in some circles in the 1960s stands in stark contrast to the more recent and better known "helicopter parenting" style. What do you think is the healthiest parenting style to adopt? Why so?
3. Fiona mentions her "little sparklies." They seem to arrive whenever she is traveling between parents. We learn that these sparklies are a prodrome to migraines. Do you think understanding this would have affected her parents' reaction, changing their way of dealing with Fiona's symptoms? Have you ever had a physical reaction that turned out to indicate a bigger problem?
4. Early in her schooling, Fiona expresses frustration about being bullied for being smart and she ponders that perhaps she should not show her intelligence as much. Do you think this is a more common occurrence for young girls or boys? Is it equal? How should a young girl like Fiona react to someone making fun of her for being smart?
5. Fiona's father thought taking Fiona to an anti-war protest would be a good way to demonstrate civic involvement. Do you agree with him?
   Why or why not? How do you think this experience of getting tear gassed by the police could have changed Fiona's perception of police or protesting?
6. In what ways is Fiona's mother a key character in the book even there are long periods where she rarely appears?
7. Herb, a family friend, believes the world is harsh, and to be successful, Fiona needs to understand this early, and be competitive. Do you agree with some or all of his statement? Why or why not? Why do you think he feels the need to teach this lesson to someone so young? Do you think this is a lesson that should be taught purposefully early in life or gained by personal experience?
8. Despite wanting to be with her mother and older sister so badly, Fiona eventually puts that thought out of her mind. Do you think she came to accept the way things are, or did she simply lose hope? How do you think this happened? Has there ever been anything difficult in your life you had to learn how to accept, or have you ever held onto hope through thick and thin? How did you manage it?
9. What decisions does Fiona make in this story that end up changing her life? Are there other characters that make seemingly small decisions that greatly affect her life? Have you ever made what seemed like a small, unimportant decision, but it turned out to be very important? Explain.
10. Fiona finds writing about what is troubling her helps to ease her mind even as it fosters her creativity. Why do you think it is easier for some people to cope with and process things in other ways than through talking about them?

About
Elfenworks Productions, LLC

We are a multimedia production company specializing in positive storytelling with a pro-social vision. Whether soothing and nourishing the senses, exploring important untold stories, fostering learning, or helping redefine the landscape of possibilities, the common element is to inspire and uplift, "bringing light to what is right." Believing it is possible to do well while doing good, this creative, professional team of storytellers brings their expertise, integrity, intelligence and insight to bear on every effort, be it a film, a song, an app, an animation, or whatever's next. Find out more at ELFENWORKSPRODUCTIONS.COM