Adela Crandell Durkee comes from a family of storytellers. Being a little more introverted, Adela puts pen to paper to weave her tales. First published in the Flint Journal at the age of seven, the thrill of seeing her stories in print never fades. Intrigued by the aftermath and lessons-learned following the house-fire that her father's family experienced during the Great Depression, Adela rolled many of the tales her father and his six siblings told into her debut novel, A Ship of Pearl. Despite what seemed like crippling catastrophe, “they all look at life as abundant and blessed,” said Adela. “I feel like we could all use a little of that reality in our mirrors.” Her read-to-me book, The Fable of Little Tzurie tells the mystical story of a boy leaving what he knows to find trust in a new land. Corporate leadership tranplanted Adela from a small farm in Michigan to the suburbs of Chicago. She lives is Oakwood Hills with a cornfield to the north, and a fen across the street. Adela is a photo-journalist for local newspapers and various blogs and on-line publications. He debut novel is nominated for 2018 Soon to be Famous Illinois Author Award. Adela lives near the exciting city of Chicago with her husband George. Within driving distance are her four children, and her twelve grandchildren. Add two cats on the balcony and her vegetable and water gardens in the backyard and Adela has it all. She is currently working on her second historical novel and another read-to-me book.