"In a few more steps, as if by mutual agreement, we stopped, shook hands, and with a final 'good night', parted. He disappeared down the street, and suddenly Mom and I felt exhausted; it was time to get back to our hotel. Tomorrow would be another full day, but somehow we knew that nothing would surpass the events of this special night: the ferocious storm; our courtly escort from the taxi; our elegant dinner in the Willard Room; the evening walk by the White House; and above all, this remarkable encounter with a perfect stranger." This unforgettable experience is one of many that the author recounts in this graceful collection of personal essays. "A Piano in the Pines" chronicles her emotional and spiritual journey of Starting Over in America.