From my sister, Linda Callison

I just finished reading my sister Laurie Tanoura’s book, Smile Darn Ya.

I’m so thankful that our grandmother’s and her siblings’ stories and poetry are being preserved. Even though I’m younger, the book brought back many memories, especially those of our life at the cabin. I also enjoyed reading about Laurie’s childhood dream of moving to Hawaii—and how she made that dream come true.

I always knew she was a talented poet, but I didn’t realize just how much poetry she had written. Several of her poems brought tears to my eyes. This book made me feel even closer to my family’s history and taught me many things I never knew.

Although Laurie is my sister, I genuinely enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!