KEARNEY — A Kearney resident has built off her past literary success by publishing a second book titled, “So God Made a Grandma.”
Leslie Means describes herself as a,” storyteller, children’s book author, columnist, former TV anchor/host, little sister, cat owner and a Nebraska farm girl,” according to the website that she edits, “Her View from Home.”
Means is the mother of three children, two daughters and one son.
When asked what inspired her to write and her influences, Means said that she has always been a storyteller and quipped that she grew up spinning yarns to her barn cats.
“One thing I find interesting about most writers is that we’ve loved words since childhood. We’re born with it, I guess. I usually write a little something each day, mostly inspired by what’s happening in my life,” Means said.
This interest in writing lead to the creation of a website after Means left television in 2010 and began working at the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce.
Means said she loved the business skills she was learning but missed the “TV vibe” from her past and that is what lead to the website.
“I always credit Kearney for my start. We didn’t have any money to start the business, so I had to go to local businesses in town, pitch my idea, and ask for advertising money. So many local businesses helped me launch the website, for which I am forever grateful,” said Means.
Means also won a local grant from the University of Nebraska at Kearney for $10,000 to help launch the site which was significant.
“Her View From Home,” launched in April 2012, started as a local website featuring the best of Nebraska’s people and places, but now we share stories from women all over the globe.
The website today holds thousands of stories from women all over the globe on motherhood, marriage, relationships, faith, and grief, Means said.
Several years after the launch, a woman wrote a piece called “God Gave Me Sons,” and the post went viral with thousands of people commenting on and sharing the post.
“That concept was the perfect name for our first book, ‘So God Made a Mother.’ It focuses on real, raw, beautiful, authentic, new pieces from ‘Her View From Home’ contributors,” said Means.
“So God Made a Mother,” became a national bestseller and Means was even invited to speak about the book on Good Morning America. Being a former broadcast journalist, Means said appearing on the show was truly a “bucket list,” moment for her.
When asked about the reception the book received, Means said, “It’s an incredible honor to help share these stories. We knew the world would love this book because these women write real, raw, vulnerable pieces that the world understands. It’s never lost on me what a gift it is to be a part of this community.”
Based on the reception and success of “So God Made a Mother,” Means has penned a second book, this one called, “So God Made a Grandma: Caring, Faithful, Creative, Devoted, Wise, Generous, Resilient–Just like You.”
“So God Made a Grandma” has the same vibe as “So God Made a Mother,” but these pieces are written by or for grandmother figures, Means said.
“It’s a way to honor the women who shaped us. Many of these essays are written by grandmothers or by women my age, talking about their mother as a grandmother to their children. These stories are even more in-depth and vary greatly,” said Means.
“Some relationships are beautiful and full of love, support, and warmth. Some are complicated, yet still honored and transformative. All these stories, told from the perspectives of daughters, friends, grandchildren, and grandmothers themselves―will stir the hearts of anyone who’s had a grandma, who is a grandma, or who knows a grandma,” information about the book stated.
“You don’t need to be a grandmother to be captivated by the stories on these pages or moved by their depth. This diverse collection of essays celebrates the women who shape us, the women we are, and the women we pray we’ll become. So God Made a Grandma is for the love-givers, the tradition-keepers, the memory-makers, and the timeless love we call our own,” additional information on the book stated.
Means said her books can be found everywhere books are sold, both online and in many stores.
Means notes on “Her View from Home,” that shared experiences of motherhood, faith and grief used to be passed down from woman to woman and shared as a community, but in modern times this dynamic has been lessened.
Speaking to this, Means said that we have lost the art of communication, even in a time of the internet, websites social media, etc.
Means said that she is grateful to modern technology to being able to help her business but noted, “I also grew up without the internet and watched my dad invite people into our home for a glass of tea and conversation.”
“We can’t lose that gift of community—which is what we’re trying to foster through our website and books. We hope to encourage people to share their stories and be willing to listen to the stories of others. That’s how we grow and become better humans. We can empathize with others, even if their stories aren’t like ours, and hopefully, they’ll do the same for us,” Means said.
“We’re living in a volatile world, it seems. We’re doing what we can to change that. I truly think stories can help bring back a bit of our past and create a stronger future,” Means concluded.
“So God Made a Grandma: Caring, Faithful, Creative, Devoted, Wise, Generous, Resilient–Just like You.” (Courtesy)
