A book by its cover?

This is going to sound pretty ridiculous. “Who commissions a painting for the cover of a book before the book is written?”

For the purpose of beginning to visualize Gretel on the ship coming from Bremen, Germany to the new world, I commissioned one of my former students, artist extraordinaire Amber Pierce, to paint for me her interpretation of the turmoil of a young woman on a sea voyage to a new life, all based on the note in a coat pocket. I think she created an incredible image, one in which I can live in and feel her as a part of me, as the story becomes more real. However, I’m not going to show you the whole composition. Not till the book is done. Maybe 4 years?