Hi, Abbas. I just saw your message on reddit – I knew Masha at Marryatville High School; we were in the same year and were in some classes together. I was only at Marryatville for two years between 1993 and 1994, but I have a couple of strong memories of her. Strangely, I can still remember exactly what she sounded like when she said my name (the ‘a’ in Paris sounded more like an ‘e’ because of her accent). I also remember we were doing a reading in English class and she pronounced the word ‘bosom’ as ‘bozzum’ and we all had a good laugh. Isn’t it funny how we remember such silly things? I doubt even Masha herself would have remembered that! Other than those memories, I remember her huge smile and wonderful sense of humor, and also how nothing ever seemed to bother her. I must admit, when I saw the article on her passing I was deeply shocked and had to check several sources to make sure it was the same Masha I knew. But it also made me very happy to know that she had lead such an amazing life after school and achieved so much! I immediately purchased and read Pomegranate Soup and enjoyed it immensely. Her quirkiness and sense of fun was on every page! I look forward to reading her other two novels.
