Reissued: Bonita woman’s beloved Hilderbrand books, claimed by Ian, replaced
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Jayne Klinker arrived back to her Bonita Springs home after Hurricane Ian to find it still under water. As she waded through her house one of the first things, she saw was her beloved, personally autographed book by Elin Hilderbrand.
“I’m so sad to lose all my books,” Klinker said. “That was the first thing I saw floating across the flooded floor.”
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She had retired in June after more than 30 years teaching business, accounting and reading at Estero High School.
“I had just bought a whole bunch of books to read in my retirement,” she explained. There were 35 of them just sitting on the floor and many more on the shelves.”
But her most treasured was “The Hotel Nantucket” autographed by Hilderbrand.
Last year Klinker and other members of her book club had gone to Barnes & Nobles in Naples for an author signing there.
“She (Hilderbrand) came in the spring, so our book club went to meet her and she told everybody on her website to wear yellow, so we all wore yellow, and got in line with everybody. We had never done anything like that, so it was fun,” Klinker described.
Heather Morse is a member of that book club. She had been a student of Klinkers, and then a colleague at Estero High.
“She (Klinker) sent her book club a photo of her Elin Hilderbrand book floating in her house,” Morse began. “My heart just hurt so much for her.”
Morse went on Elin Hilderbrand’s website and asked if she could purchase the same book and have it autographed.
“I said I would pay if she would just sign one book,” Morse explained. “He (Hilderbrand’s agent) said we would be so happy to send her the last four top selling novels, with a signed book plate in it.”
Soon a box arrived with four new donated books including the autographed copy of “The Hotel Nantucket.” Morse then surprised Klinker with the books at their book club meeting.
“Everybody at the table was in tears to see her happy and see how it lifted her spirits a little bit,” Morse described.
“When I first opened it, I thought it was just books that she bought,” Klinker explained. “I was joking and said, ‘I wished it was autographed’ and she said, ‘open it.’ ”
When she opened the book, she saw the autograph.
“I was just shocked speechless,” Klinker said. “It was pretty cool.”
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The publisher donated the autographed “The Hotel Nantucket” along with “28 Summers”, “Golden Girl” and the newest book “Endless Summer.”
“I like her books because to me it is an easy escape,” Klinker said.
Elin Hilderbrand has written more than 30 books, mostly romance novels. Her books are typically set near Nantucket Island where the author lives.
Klinker is now living in an RV while her home is being repaired. She hopes to be able to have two rooms in her house fixed by Christmas so she can move back home as repairs continue.
“Our whole street got flooded from the river and the storm surge,” Klinker said. “It is uninhabitable right now. We are working on getting back in there. It is a real bummer.”
In between all the work, Klinker is looking forward to reading.
“I like anything that takes you to a different place,” she concluded.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Bonita woman’s beloved Hilderbrand books, claimed by Ian, replaced
