Impressions - Ana Leigh
May/02/2015 09:29 PM Filed: Impressions
Celebrate the life and career of an extraordinary historical romance novelist:
Ana Leigh (October 19, 1929 - April 12, 2015)
I met Ana in the early nineties and had the opportunity to interview her three times for articles that appeared in several publications. I remember her wit and sense of humor, down-to-earth comments that may not have been intended for the public, but what struck me as remarkable was her ability to find a spark, a burning passion that enabled her to create stories for future generations.
When I asked what lessons we can learn from those who tamed the Old West, she answered more than my question. She explained why some succeed and others fail.
“I think one of the outstanding things about the West and the people who chose to help settle the West had to be their courage. Those were admirable qualities that perhaps we need a little bit more of in today’s world, to really believe in what you’re doing instead of going through the motions, to put your life on the line to do it. There’s not enough of that today. And I think that’s why we have so many problems in the world. We don’t learn how to really depend upon each other. Those Westerners, those early Westerners, had to depend upon one another for survival. Technology, of course, is a great thing, but at the same time it’s not good for people when they are so dependent upon their technology that they can’t function without it. We really are missing something. These early people who packed up what they could in a little tiny covered wagon lived with what they could take along until they got themselves settled. They will always be my heroes because without them we wouldn’t be the nation we are today.”