Today my friend, the fiction writer Emily Franklin, left a note on my Facebook timeline that simply said, “Congrats!” When I replied, first, to thank her and, then, to ask what in the world she was congratulating me for (I’d finally unpacked the suitcase that’s been lying by the front door for two days now, but I was pretty sure that wasn’t it), she was the first to tell me that A Reunion of Ghosts was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in fiction. (Full list of winners and finalists here.)

As my people say, Who knew?

I have to confess I’m on Cloud 9 over this. The winner of the fiction award was Daniel Torday, author of The Last Flight of Poxl West, and the other finalists included one of my idols, Jim Shepard, as well as Kristin Hannah and Yehuda Avner & Matt Rees. To be in such company: such a joy. As my people also say, Mazel Tov to one and all.