Art Imitates Life
· The scene where Max goes to talk to Antonia's father before asking her to marry him is a longtime tradition in our families. I wrote this in many of my books. My husband asked my father for my hand, and both our daughters now have husbands who came to us first.
· Like Antonia, I lost my mother at a young age. It was a tribute to her that I had my bridal bouquet made out of her favorite flowers just like in the wedding scene.
· Similar to Toni wearing her mother's ring around her neck on a chain, my father had my mother's engagement ring made into a necklace for me after she passed, and I wear it all the time.
· The description of the Zamboni fumes in the arena is a real thing. As a kid, it used to bother me to smell them at the games.