HOME TOWN’s Erin Napier Celebrates Daughter’s Dream With New Book
By Movieguide® Contributor
HGTV star Erin Napier is known for her home improvement skills, but now she’s adding “author” to her list of accomplishments.
Napier recently released her first children’s book, “The Lantern House,” a story about how houses can be homes for many different families over the years.
“The reality about our houses is, they go on after we’ve left them, and imagine if houses could talk, what would they tell us about the things that they’ve seen. That’s fascinating to me,” Napier told People “Something I think about a lot is that the house I’m sitting in right now will outlive me. Isn’t that crazy?”
In one part of the story, the Lantern House has no one living inside it, and wonders who its next occupants could be. One dreamed-of person is a trapeze artist, which is a sweet nod to Napier’s oldest daughter, 4 year-old Helen.
“The trapeze artist’s house is Helen’s. If she could do anything, this house would look like a circus tent and she would be the star trapeze artist,” Napier explained.
There was a bit of illustrator Adam Trest within the story, as well.
“The gardener was for Adam and his family,” she shared. “We were taking little bits from our own lives and stories about our houses and the previous owners that we had heard in every decision we made with the book and what it would look like.”
“The house was not based on any house in particular in Laurel, but Adam was on a road trip through Pennsylvania and saw a house that looked just like the Lantern House. And that was really the basis,” the HGTV star continued.
“We wanted it to be something that was like a Four Square [style], an all-American house,” Napier went on. “I’ve never lived in a house that looked like that, neither has he. But we felt like it was a good emblematic architectural style for this particular book. It’s just a friendly house and it was fun to see how you take that friendly, average American house and make it something imaginative and whimsical on the pages.”
“When people tell me that it made them get emotional, then it feels like it did its job. I think we should be emotional about our houses. They’re more than just buildings,” Napier concluded.
“The Lantern House” isn’t Napier’s only book. Movieguide® previously reported on a personal cookbook she created to honor her late grandmother:
HOME TOWN star Erin Napier’s new custom cookbook is full of her late grandmother’s handwritten recipes.
Ouida Walters Rasberry died last May, but Napier hopes to honor her life with the cookbook she refers to as the “Book of Ouida.”
“Last Easter she was still with us. This Easter, I’m picking up the coconut cake torch,” Napier wrote on Instagram ahead of Easter. “So glad we found all her recipes so I could make the Book of Ouida. But man, I miss her.”
The Instagram video shows Napier flipping through the food-stained recipes, settling on her grandmother’s delicious coconut cake.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
