Readers Reviews:

Dear Valerie, I loved the book. After reading it I feel like we are best friends.

Dear Valerie, I really liked your book but never want to hit the road with you in a motor home.

Dear Valerie, Loved reading your book, couldn't put it down.

Valerie, I just finished reading your website book. I LOVED it. Woke up at 2:00 am and couldn't sleep, while looking at Facebook saw your post about your book.
Downloaded it and read all night. Couldn't wait to get back to it this evening. You were at our home, the farm, in Illinois but things were so hectic I never got to visit with you very much. You are one remarkable, gutsy woman. Your motorhome adventures, your heartaches, your fun times all told with your wonderful sense of humor coming through. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book......😊

Kelly Knapp, Amazon Customer

This story was like my favorite onion, the Vidalia, all warm colors and sweet flavors, with thick sections that melt when each new layer is exposed to the heat that follows Valerie from California to Arkansas. I have heard it said that growing old is not for the faint of heart and if true the author will grow old slowly.

Kellee June 14, 2019

I am also moving from California--Los Angeles to a small town in Southern Wisconsin. No "coincidence" that I just found your article--while on a much needed break from packing to head out tonight! A native Californian, 61, this is all a huge new adventure for me too! Thanks for your article, it keeps me inspired!

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US Review of Books (PDF)

Miami Book Fair Poster (PDF)

Read a newspaper article about Valerie's Book. It appeared in her local Bella Vista paper, called 'The Weekly Vista', written by Lynn Atkins.

Baby Boomers News

A review in the Capeway Traveler, published and distrinbuted in the east, from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Florida, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine and Rhode Island.

FOREWORD Review:
Review by Kristine Morris

AMAZON BOOK REVIEW:

A debut memoir, a compilation of emails, depicts a strong woman with a superb sense of humor.

In 2007, Katz, after staying single for 30 years, began dating her dance instructor, David. The couple fell in love, and they decided she would sell her house and move in with him. A search for a "better place to retire" turned up "lush and green" Bella Vista, Arkansas, in the Ozark Mountains, an environment in which Katz had often dreamed of living. The two wed because she was unwilling to move so far from her four children, six grandchildren, mom, who was almost ninety, two sisters, and a brother, all within an hour and a half of her... without a marriage certificate. Shortly after settling into their new home, they learned that David had a cancerous tumor in his bladder, which, despite chemotherapy, spread to all his "bones from his shoulders to his hips." The travails of constant hospital visits notwithstanding, the couple enjoyed road trips to California in their motor home to visit family. Unfortunately, David died in 2010: "I guess God was ready for his dance lesson." After his death, Katz's family stepped into the void. Her sister Martha moved in with her, and together they took motor-home journeys and traveled abroad. Katz's prose is jaunty: "The doctor took out the catheter; Houston, we have splashdown." Her ability to anthropomorphize just about anything is sure to induce some smiles: "We have come to better terms with the GPS. We now find her antics cause for laughter. When getting off the highway to get some food, we got her so upset all she could say was 'U-turn, U-turn'!" Readers who indulge in the great American retirement fantasy of crisscrossing the country in a motor home would be well-advised to pay special attention to the sections detailing the author's road trips from Arkansas to California.
An upbeat and enjoyable take on the mundane events of daily life.

Publishers Weekly (image)

PacificBookReview

One of the most difficult things in life to embrace is change. People in general tend to be hesitant to change, and can even come to fear it if it threatens to upend their routines or disrupt their everyday life. However, change can also be something to be celebrated, and some people race to embrace changes that will bring them closer to the happiness they seek. As former US President Barack Obama once said, "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

In author Valerie Katz's, "The News From Arkansas: Sense of Humor Required", the author relates to readers the story of how she and her husband came to move from California to Arkansas, and find their lives changed forever. Put together as a series of emails sent to family and friends over the course of the author's first years living in Arkansas, the book takes heartfelt, heartbreaking and humorous twists and turns as it explores the vast difference between the two states and ways of living overall.

The prospect of moving to a new place, let alone half-way across the country, is both exciting and nerve-wracking. Yet in this book, the author takes the changes in her life in stride and utilizes humor and wit to propel the narrative forward. This book does a fantastic job of blending funny interactions between the author and her family and friends, personal and memorable messages of loss and hope as the author's husband struggles with his health, and a natural flow that explores the years of living in Arkansas.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy non-fiction memoirs and travel books which explore not only various locations around the world but the journey of moving across the country; into a new and unfamiliar place entirely. As a fan of memoirs, I found myself connected wholly and completely to the author as she relayed her story. The writing was passionate yet personal all at once, and will do a fantastic job of keeping the readers invested throughout the book.

A memorable, engaging and evenly-paced read, author Valerie Katz's The News From Arkansas: Sense of Humor Required is a must-read memoir! The personal and emotional aspects do a great job of relating to the reader, as everyone at one point or another has made a big move somewhere or had to leave family behind or experienced the pain of witnessing a loved one going through a major health crisis. If you enjoy entertaining, thoughtful yet emotionally-driven reads, this is a must-have book!

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