Blessing in Disguise (67 page)

Goudge at seven years old, before her First Communion. The photograph was taken in the backyard of her parent’s first house in San Mateo, California. One of six children, Goudge loved being singled out from her brothers and sisters.

Goudge, second from right, smiling with her three sisters in matching dresses. Goudge’s mother used to make clothes for her children. By the time Goudge entered high school, she had picked up sewing from her mother and begun to make all of her own clothes.

Goudge with her younger sister, Patty, at a book signing for
Garden of Lies
in 1986. For Goudge, one of the most exciting aspects of the book’s release was being able to share with her friends and family a project she’d been working on for so long.

Goudge dancing with her son Michael on her and Sandy Kenyon’s wedding day in 1996. The ceremony was held at a garden restaurant in New York City and the newlyweds honeymooned in Quebec City.

Goudge with Barbara Walters on
The View
in 1999. Goudge said of Walters, “It’s no wonder why she’s famous. Barbara instantly puts you at ease. She also has the best lighting—there was an apricot glow that is so calming and flattering.”

Goudge with her husband, Sandy Kenyon, near his homestead in Vermont. Goudge’s own real-life romance reads like those in her novels: After three failed marriages, she met Kenyon while being interviewed for the radio. When the interview ended, they continued the conversation, talking up to three hours each night, and married soon after.

Goudge with her mother looking at old family photographs at her mother’s beach house in Santa Cruz, California.

Goudge in her condo in midtown Manhattan in 2010. Sandy Kenyon, her husband, took the photograph. On Saturdays, Eileen’s favorite activity is to walk around the city with Sandy, exploring new neighborhoods.