About the book design and execution
Ethel Katz, a Jewish 70+ no-nonsense New Yorker, becomes concerned with her daughter Debra's incessant focus on the spiritual quest and a Sanskrit-dubbed Western teacher. One day Ethel gets into her Volvo and heads to the ashram in the Catskill Mountains.
This charming 5 x 7 paperback design depended heavily on finding just the right art and font treatments. To capture the spirit of the writing, the author and designer wanted to create a whimsical, wise feeling. The small bird illustration may remind some readers of the phrase, "a little bird told me." Note how the front cover art is extended to the back and the use of the standard back cover formula for text: book description, two blurbs, and author bio.
The interior introduces three new illustrations: a meditative figure on the full title page, a small moon and star on the dedication page, and a steaming cup of coffee in chapter beginnings throughout. Note the unusual drop-cap treatment of the first letter of the first word of the chapter. The line illustrations are perfectly matched to the lighthearted spirit of the front cover small bird. The sum total of these effects tells the reader they are going to encounter a welcoming embrace from the author. Four fonts were used: Harabara Hand, Adobe Caslon Pro, Minion Pro, Times New Roman
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