Sacred Heart Alumna Receives 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction

 Deborah Johnson, Author and Sacred Heart alumna
of Duchesne Omaha

Congratulations to Deborah Johnson, 1966 alumna of Duchesne Academy in Omaha who has been awarded the 2015 Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction.  Johnson's recently released novel The Secret of Magic depicts an African American attorney working for the Legal Defense Fund with Thurgood Marshall in the 1940's.  

Authorized by Ms. Harper Lee as a means to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the publication of her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird and to honor the former Alabama law student and author, the University of Alabama School of Law and the ABA Journal partnered to annually award the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction in 2010.  The Prize has been awarded annually four times previously.  Narrowed down to three finalists, Deborah Johnson is the first woman, the first African-American and the first Sacred Heart alumna to receive the coveted Prize. 

"The Secret of Magic is exactly the kind of book the Harper Lee Prize is intended to honor; and the quality of legal literature we hope to encourage.  The language is rich, the storytelling is gripping, and the subject fits squarely in today's discussions about race, courage and the rule of law," said Allen Pusey, editor and publisher of the ABA Journal.  Pusey also served on the selection committee for the Harper Lee Prize. 

The award criteria is to publish a book-length fictional work that "best exemplifies the role of lawyers in society, and their power to effect change." The prize was awarded in Washington D.C. on September 3, 2015 in conjunction with the Library of Congress National Book Festival.  Johnson received a signed copy of the book To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Additional books authored by Deborah Johnson and under her pen name of Deborah Johns are listed under "Books by Sacred Heart Alum Authors" on this blog.

Agatha de Marthon Hoff, Sacred Heart alumna and author talks about her life and the books she has written

Sacred Heart alumna Agatha de Marthon Hoff talks about her fascinating life and the books she has written in this short interview.  To learn more about fellow Sacred Heart alum authors please go the right hand column of my blog for a list and related web links.  Please feel free to write comments about books you have read and would recommend too.

Twenty gold coins similar to the one above were smuggled
out of Hungary inside a small Teddy Bear carried 
by Agatha de Marthon Hoff

Agatha de Marthon Hoff was born in Hungary.  She and her family fled the war-torn country during World War II.  Agatha is an alum of the Sacred Heart school in Hungary as well as our Sacred Heart school in Atherton/Menlo Park, California. When she arrived in the United States it was with a small teddy bear in her arms that conceled 20 gold coins. The book she has written: Burning Horses: A Hungarian Life Turned Upside Down is a fictionalized account of Eva Leopold Badies (mother of the author) and her survival of the Hungarian Holocaust.  

Agatha is a retired Commissioner of the San Francisco Supererior Court. After spending 20 years working in the court system she has much to write about! The title of her newest book:  Judge Hoff, Jesus Loves You but the Rest of Us Think You're an A**hole! is taken from graffiti left on a courthouse bathroom wall.  In Agatha's own words: "As I developed my notes into stories, it occurred to me that events in my own life provided the same mix of humor and pathos. I threw a few of those into the mix, so those who read this can laugh at, as well as with me."

New look to their Website.....Academy of Duchesne - Omaha, NE

Duchesne Academy - Omaha, Nebraska

Last Saturday, some of you will recall I did not post anything and that is because I was busying trying to add all of the Alumnae/i Association sites and more Sacred Heart Alum book authors to my blog.  As I did this I discovered that Duchesne Academy in Omaha, NE has a new look to their website.  Also, you will read news of their Capital Campaign Groundbreaking.  Check it out!  

While in Omaha last June, I had the pleasure of attending some of the Reunion weekend (June 3-5, 2011) events seeing many familiar faces from both Duchesne College and Duchesne Academy.  Photos taken at the Wine & Cheese reception on Friday, June 3rd have been posted to a flickr album.  To view them click on the photo to the right side of this blog and enjoy the sideshow!

Mark your calendars and plan on attending the 39th AASH Biennial Conference being hosted in Omaha April 10-14, 2013!  The campus will be completely transformed and all of the alumnae in the area are looking forward to hosting us!