I’ve received a lot of comments on the cover of Seeking Sara Summers. Most people love it. In the market research done beforehand, 9 out of 10 women chose this cover over several others. It is striking, but also alarming in some ways. I have to admit, that the whole concept of the headless woman bothered me at first. Haven’t women been objectified enough? Haven’t we already spent centuries broken down into mere body parts instead of seen as whole human beings?

Yet, in some says this cover also makes sense to me. If you haven’t read the book, Sara, the main character, is like many women in our society. She thinks too much. Her thoughts limit her, keep her “safe,” keep her stuck. In other words, her mind is running the show and her heart rarely gets to speak. This inevitably creates a crisis in her life, as it also does with many of us.

The cover of Seeking Sara Summers forces us to get to the heart of things. The artichoke, too, has a heart, protected by layers and layers of thorny, yet meaty, protection. The character, Sara, like many women, must work to pull away the layers of her old life to get to the heart of things and the heart of herself as a woman.

I have a friend who asks me periodically, “So how are you in your heart of hearts?” Maybe this is a question we need to each ask ourselves, no matter what gender we are. How are we, really, in our heart of hearts?

That said, if the headless woman still bothers you, feel free to supply your own. I have.