It is with a sad and heavy heart that I share this news with you, but I feel compelled to do so. I received an email yesterday letting me know that Anna Marie Catoir, from Anna Marie’s Corner passed away on December 25th at the age of 32.
Anna was diagnosed with lymphoma several months ago.
I did not personally know Anna other than through our conversations through the Monday What Are You Reading meme and the comments on my blog. I knew she was a manager at Barnes and Noble.
One comment I remember was on a post I did called Book Bloggers Unite and it was during banned book week while I was selecting what books to read that Anna Marie said this:
If your dance card isn’t full and you haven’t read it already, why not try the recently banned The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Here is the story from Sept. 9th. http://www.semissourian.com/story/1663154.html I’ve read this tile and really enjoyed it.
And you know what? I did read that book and Anna Marie was right – I loved it.
In many ways this is a hard post for me to write and I really had to think about what I would, or should say. After sitting on this news for 24 hours my heart says that Anna Marie was part of our community and rather than seeing a blog go silent and wonder why… we can know who she was and share in this loss.
I will miss her comments and conversations, and popping over to see what she is reading. To her family and friends I give my deepest sympathies.
Book Journey 
Such sad news. My thoughts and prayers will be with her family.
How very sad. I didn’t know her, didn’t even know about her blog, but your words and the thought that a fellow book blogger is no longer with us has brought tears to my eyes. May she rest in peace and may her family find comfort in the passing of time. Thank you for sharing this news, Sheila.
That is so sad. My thoughts are with her family.
Oh I am just so sorry to hear this. Love to her family.
Condolences to Anna Marie’s friends and loved ones.
Thank you for letting us know, Sheila. I didn’t know Anne Marie, but we’re such a community here in the book blogging world that it almost doesn’t matter whether I knew her or read her blog, you know? Her family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
didn’t know her or her blog but thanks for letting us know, Sheila. May her thoughts and ideas live on.
This just makes me so sad! I went to her blog and posted condolences on her most recent post. I wonder if her family will read it…
Thank you for letting us all know about this. I remember visiting her blog and looking at all the masks she made. This is such sad news.
What horribly sad news. Thanks for letting us know. My thoughts are prayers are with her family.
This is so beautiful. It is true that we get to know people through their posts and comments. I understand why you will miss her. By introducing you to a book you loved, she gave you so much. May she now be at peace.
This is such sad news. Thanks for posting from your heart….
Thanks for sharing this. I did not know Anne Marie but how tragic to die so young! Now that I am a part of a blogging community I sometimes wonder if a fellow blogger is okay if they haven’t posted for a few months. Our lives are touched by those we communicate with even through seemingly small comments, like the one you posted from Anne Marie. My sincerest condolences to Anne Marie’s family and friends.
I’m so sorry for you loss
sad news, I remember visiting her blog. I will keep all her friends and family in my prayers.
What terribly sad news! Prayers and Blessings to her family.
That is so sad! I wasn’t familiar with her or her blog which is really a shame.
How sad..
Like yourself I met her through the Monday event and we spoke on line for swhiel now about masking – she was quite creative….
So young, so sad – Her family and friends will be in my thoughts..
🙂
Oh Sheila that is so terribly sad but thank you for sharing with us. What a heartbreaking loss for her family and loved ones; I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
I only visited Anna Marie’s blog a time or two thru your Monday meme so did not know her well but the book blogging community is such a supportive and caring community, I only hope that her family feels just a little of that love and support.
I was not familiar with her blog but what a tragic loss for her family and friends. So young.
I didn’t know Anna Marie but I am sending love from over the pond. I just looked at her blog and it seems she was happy and having fun making things and joining in a steampunk writing class etc – that’s nice to hear.
Such sad news, thanks for your lovely post Sheila.
Very sad news and just so young. Thank you for the touching post Sheila.
this is sad news! My thoughts are with her family.
This had been nagging me, as I knew I had to know this blogger. I shared my memories with her also on my blog when it finally clicked who this was. She will be missed.
http://becksbookpicks.blogspot.com/2011/01/loss-of-fellow-book-blogger.html
Very sad news. I’d never heard of her so thank you for this Sheila. She’s in my thoughts.
Thank you for posting this, Sheila. What a tragic loss. Her family and friends will be in my prayers. How very, very sad.
My prayers are with her family. May her soul rest in peace….
Such sad news! Thanks for sharing with us, Sheila. I had visited Anna’s blog many times. I loved the cute blog header and enjoyed her blog posts. She will be missed!
Many condolences to her family. For the rest of our blogging community: we will notice her absence.
I am so sorry to read this. I have visited her via What Are You Reading?.
Melissa is right. We bloggers are a community and to lose someone so young is a tragedy we all feel.
I’ve not been to her blog, but it’s still sad, she was 2 years younger than I am.
I pray for her family during this hard time.
Sending (((HUGS))) and condolences.
This is so sad! She commented on my blog posts every now and then and I subscribed to her blog. Her last post was from mid-December and she even posted a challenge post for 2011. So her death must have been quite suddenly, considering.
Thanks for letting us know Sheila. You did a great post on such a difficult topic.
Oh my…such sad news…anyone dying that young is devastating. Thank you for telling us about this.
Oh, this is absolutely horrible. I am so sad to hear this – how young at 32! 😦 For her family and friends, you have a solid group of the book blogging & reading community that are thinking of her and you during this horrible time.
Sheila, thanks for posting this – my heart is heavy tonight.
How sad to loose someone so young. I remember reading some of her comments and the post you mentioned. It is shocking that her illness was so short.
My heart goes out to her family and friends.
Thank you for sharing this with us, I had wondered why her blog had gone quiet. I have just visited her Mom’s blog to leave a message.
I’m fighting back the tears and I only really knew her through her blog, but she was just such a lovely person and left lovely comments.
That is really sad news. I will keep her family in my thoughts and prayers.
Sheila,
Thank you for caring enough to share this news. While I did not know this particular blogger, my heart still goes out to her family. You are correct that she deserves more than having her blog go silent with no reason as to why.
How sad, I am so sorry to hear this. I had wondered where she was the past couple of weeks, I had no idea she was even ill. Thank you for telling us, I wish it had been better news.
How sad, though judging by her posts she was more worried about her family than about herself. May the Lord grant her eternal rest and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul rest in peace.
Rann I seen that too on her blog. You would have never known she was sick.
I pray comfort for her family. Thanks for sharing about Anna Marie and this shows how one life can touch many even in small ways.
Oh! How very sad; she was so young. Prayers go out to her family and friends in this time of deep sadness.