“The Lost Horse” by Lee Lowry is displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all.
More than 13,500 attendees gathered in San Diego, CA, for the largest library event in the world. The ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition took place at the San Diego Convention Center from June 28 to July 2. Total attendance was 13,532, with 8,439 of them being attendees and 5,093 being exhibitors, authors, illustrators, press, and staff.
Against a backdrop of increasing censorship and book challenges, library workers learned from each other and supported each other through the 175 educational programs throughout the conference.
The conference opened with Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning host Trevor Noah and ALA Past President Lessa Kanani’opua Peyalo-Lozada in conversation discussing Noah’s upcoming book, “Into the Uncut Grass.”
ALA and Unite Against Book Bans hosted a second Rally for the Right to Read, which spotlighted the courage and resilience of library workers who are protecting the freedom to read.
ALA is now preparing for LibLearnX 2025, which will be held Jan. 24-27 in Phoenix. Next year’s ALA Annual will take place in Philadelphia.
For more information, visit www.ala.org.
Author Reputation Press’ published book, written by Lee Lowry, was displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference from June 28 to July 2. The publisher and author of the book are honored and proud to be part of this annual conference.
“The Lost Horse” by Lee Lowry was among the books displayed by Author Reputation Press during the 2024 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (LATFOB) at the University of Southern California on April 20–21, 2024. The LATFOB is considered to be one of the world’s most significant literary gatherings. It has been held every year since 1996 with the goal of bringing together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. It is attended by more than 550 authors, celebrities, storytellers, and hundreds of exhibitors.
The author, Lee Lowry, is a former community activist and political consultant. Like her fictional counterpart, Lowry gave up a successful career in Boston and moved to Europe to help an old love cope with his grief after the loss of his wife to cancer. IF YOU NEEDED ME is the first book of a trilogy inspired by Lowry’s personal experiences as an expatriate, second wife, and stepparent.
Lowry lived in Switzerland for seven years before retiring with her husband to California in 2008. “We were planning to back to Massachusetts, but we quickly realized, for reasons of space and physical layout, that my home in Boston was not well suited for a retired couple. Its shortcomings gave us a remarkable opportunity, motivating us to define together the ideal house and ideal community—not his, not mine, but ours.”
“The Lost Horse” presents Jenny Longworth’s recent marriage to widower David Perry, which is tested on multiple fronts. Despite her efforts to adapt to living in Europe, she experiences increasing bouts of homesickness.
Beyond the continuing challenge of adjusting to a new country and a new language, Jenny must define her role as stepmother to two young adults. Jenny suspects David’s son Marc has a drug addiction, but David defends Marc’s behavior as a “passing phase.” When his daughter Delphine gets into financial difficulty, David’s protective instincts run counter to Jenny’s views on accountability.
As David and Jenny struggle to negotiate their differences, their challenge is heightened by David’s retirement and financial pressures of their own, leading them to consider repatriating to the US. In this sequel to Judge Not, author Lee Lowry completes her trilogy of mid-life love and second marriage with an intimate account of the give-and-take essential to a healthy relationship.

