And Then Winners Are....

Congratulations to Llehn and Ann Diana Dinh for each winning a copy of Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos!!

Thank you all for participating in our giveaway! Surely there'll be more books to giveaway, so please keep your eyes peeled to this blog.

Please email me (Julie) your mailing address so I can forward it to the publisher.

Giveaway: Sing Them Home

We have 2 copies of Sing Them Home to giveaway!! Please leave a comment here by midnight EST time May 12th, 2009 to be entered. See our review of it here.

The winner will be announced on May 13th, 2009.

Good Luck!

Special Thanks to Martin at Grove Atlantic for providing us with the 2 copies!

Author Interview: Stephanie Kallos

A few weeks ago we posted our group review of Stephanie Kallos' Sing Them Home. We all had differing opinions (as usual) but are excited to have Stephanie answer a few questions for us.

GJR: What was your inspiration for the novel?
SK: SING THEM HOME was the novel I believed would be my first. It arose from a single image. (And I should note that this was very different from the inspiration for BROKEN, which arose from several converging ideas/obsessions.)

The story of three siblings and their vanished mother has been swirling around in my head ever since I saw a 1974 National Geographic photograph of a ruined baby grand piano in the middle of a milo field; it was the only thing to come down in any kind of recognizable form after a tornado descended upon – and completely destroyed - the 19th century farmhouse of some dear family friends who farmed just outside of Wymore, Nebraska, which is where I lived until I was five.

My mother used to say, "How can a deep chest freezer just disappear? How can things like bathtubs and washers and dryers vanish? Where does it all go?"

I'd always envisioned SING as a book about unresolved grief; however, it became a very different, much more personal book after losing both of my parents during the writing process -and possibly a better book for having been deferred, and for the uncanny way that my own grief connected me to my characters.

GJR: What made you decide to have the characters be from a Welsh community?
SK: Southeastern Nebraska was settled in part by Welsh folk – and I came to understand why someone from Wales might feel at home there after I visited Northern Wales with my family in the summer of 2006: few trees; vast, rolling hills; a landscape that’s all about the sky. I wanted to give my fictional small town a cultural/historical identity that would be a source of pride. I have no previous connection to Wales or being Welsh, so it was a great deal of fun researching this part of the story.

By the way, the Welsh funeral customs practiced by the people in Emlyn Springs are completely fictional, a kind of conflation of sitting shiva and the traditions of an Irish wake. Funnily enough, I’ve had more than one reader tell me how much trouble they’ve had finding out more about the Gymanfa and the Triadau traditions on the web. That’s because they’re made up!

GJR: We’ve read you bio on your website and thoroughly enjoyed your approach? What made you write about yourself that way instead of a “typical” biography?
SK: I find traditional bios boring and/or self-serving, and I really don’t like listing things like honors and awards. The style of “Directions to Where I Live” was inspired by Lorrie Moore and a book of short fiction she published several years ago called SELF-HELP. I’m sure there’s a name for this type of writing, i.e. when everything is stated as an imperative, but (and here’s where I admit to not having an English degree) I don’t know what that name is. I do find it a very freeing way of writing, one that really gets the juices flowing.

GJR: In Sing Them Home, Bonnie finds pieces of her mom’s diary embedded into the ground, did research show that this is possible after 25 years? Have there been stories about people finding artifacts?
SK: In the land of tornadoes, nothing is too outrageous. And of course there are many anecdotes involving tornados and recovered/discovered objects in the most unlikely places. But no, Bonnie’s findings aren’t backed up by any specific research – although I do remember reading an article about a study on tornado debris which talked about the item which held the record for being the farthest-traveling piece of tornado debris. It was a receipt of some kind and was discovered well over a hundred miles away from its point of origin.

GJR: Which character was the easiest to write? Which character was the hardest?
SK: There were aspects of all their lives that were easy to write; likewise there were aspects that were challenging. The important thing for me with all my characters is that I find a way initially to establish common ground. As an example, I relegated to each of the siblings one of my neuroses – Larken got my body image problems and my past unhealthy history with food; Gaelan got my fear that someday everyone will realize that I’m not terribly smart and am completely undeserving of luck or success; Bonnie got my sometimes obsessive preoccupation with the little picture and my belief in omens and signs.

My background in the theatre has taught me how crucial it is – especially in the beginning – to connect personally with all characters, to find the common ground; that way the author can’t stand outside the character and judge them.

Once that work is done, then of course the author must embroider and fabricate and lift up and away from that initial connection, and eventually create all the elements of the characters that aren’t the author; if this second, equally crucial step doesn’t occur, if you fail to ask “what if?” then you’ll end up writing characters that are all barely-disguised versions of yourself.

GJR: Is there any specific character that you identified with more or less?
SK: Nope. I love them all. I identify with them all. That’s what I mean by the necessity of finding the common ground, of really, truly forcing yourself to stand in the character’s shoes in a way that doesn’t allow you to judge them or play favorites. To say I have a favorite character or one I identified with above the others would be like saying I prefer one of my children over the other.

GJR: Why did you choose a tornado as the natural disaster to this story instead of a hurricane, tsunami, etc? Was it because you wanted the story to take place in the Midwest? Why the Midwest vs. another part of the US?
SK: When people started talking about my first novel (BROKEN FOR YOU) as containing elements of magical realism, I didn’t really know what that meant – I’m not a well-read author and wasn’t familiar with the work of writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez. So I did some exploring on the web and located an online magazine that published the work of self-described magical realists. The stories were great, but the best thing about the site was the fact that all the authors had been asked in their bios to write their definition of magical realism. My favorite definition was also the shortest: “Magical realism? Sofas that fly.” This explained a lot about my proclivities as a writer: sofas are flying all the time in Nebraska! It’s hard for people who haven’t grown up in “tornado alley” to understand how deeply one is affected by the remarkable and indeed magic-seeming things that happen there.

GJR: This is your second novel, what are your plans for your third?
I’ll be revisiting ideas and historical characters I became fascinated with twelve years ago, specifically three sisters – Katie, Maggie, and Leah Fox – who are credited with launching the Spiritualist movement in America. Early on in the process, I gave a good deal of thought to how I wanted to tell this story and whether it should be a historical novel; I’ve decided instead to re-imagine these women in a contemporary setting. I’m very excited about the way the novel is taking shape; its working title is KATIE AND MAGS. And of course, because of the subject matter, there will be more opportunities for me to continue exploring the relationship between the dead and the living - obviously a pet obsession.

GJR: Do you have a specific writing process that you try to follow?
SK: It depends on where I am in the work: in the early stages I do a lot of what I’ve come to call “wool-gathering.” (And our trip to Wales really helped clarify that metaphor; we stayed on an organic sheep farm and I spent a lot of time wandering the fields picking up stray tufts of fleece.) During this phase, it’s important to keep the mind loose and curious. Anne Tyler says she spends the first year after a novel is done “puttering.” This quality of time is important, and there isn’t much to be done at the desk. I use this primarily time to read books related to research and/or the kind of novel I’m thinking of writing.

The second phase, which I’ve come to call “playing in the sandbox,” begins when the possibilities for the book are becoming clearer, the landscape of the story is starting to close in – although not too much. During this phase I write notes, sketch out possible scenes, journal about characters, etc.

Finally comes the time to apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and start writing what Anne Lamott calls “the shitty first draft.” My writing schedule at that point revolves around my kids’ schedule: from the time they get on the bus at 8:30 until early afternoon. The process changes again once my editor comes on board, and the most intense and time-consuming work by far occurs during this phase; I’m often at my desk from 9 until 4 and then again after my children are in bed.

GJR: What inspires you to write?
SK: I love the actual physical comfort involved in writing – both in longhand and at the computer. It’s a very centering, meditative task for me. So in that way, no inspiration is needed for me to want to approach a blank piece of paper or empty computer screen. I also love being alone.

As for inspiring ideas, I take my advice from writing teacher and editor Gordon Lish who enjoins all writers to be constantly “open for business.” This means moving through the world with turned-on senses, with both the sensory and story-making awareness of a writer, who notices everything, remembers as much as possible, and always has as notepad and pen on hand.

We'd like to thank Stephanie for taking the time to answer our questions. As always it's a pleasure to learn about authors and their inspirations.

Group Review: Sing Them Home

Summary: Sing Them Home is a moving portrait of three siblings who have lived in the shadow of unresolved grief since their mother’s disappearance when they were children. Everyone in Emlyn Springs knows the story of Hope Jones, the physician’s wife whose big dreams for their tiny town were lost along with her in the tornado of 1978. For Hope’s three young children, the stability of life with their preoccupied father, and with Viney, their mother’s spitfire best friend, is no match for Hope’s absence. Larken, the eldest, is now an art history professor who seeks in food an answer to a less tangible hunger; Gaelan, the son, is a telegenic weatherman who devotes his life to predicting the unpredictable; and the youngest, Bonnie, is a self-proclaimed archivist who combs roadsides for clues to her mother’s legacy, and permission to move on. When they’re summoned home after their father’s death, each sibling is forced to revisit the childhood tragedy that has defined their lives.


Jenn's Review: This is not a book I would typically pick up on my own. I don't particularly care for family sagas, I have enough drama in my own family, thank you very much. That being said, although it took me a while to get into it, I didn't mind this one too much (I know, I know, not a ringing endorsement, but this isn't my genre).

The book starts with a discussion of the dead mothers and fathers of the world roaming the earth which I found odd and a little unnecessary. (More is not always better, sometimes it's just more.) The novel could have stood on it's own without this, in my opinion, and I felt that it detracted more than it enhanced.

Then Kallos allows us into the lives of each of the siblings, who are far from likable. Granted, the tragedy of their childhood shaped their lives, but their self absorption makes it hard to feel empathy for any of them. If it weren't for flashbacks courtesy of the pages of Hope's diary, I don't think I could have warmed up to any of them. However, seeing them through Hope's eyes, helps endear them to the reader slightly.

Still, I have issues with realism in the book. (Perhaps that's my trouble with contemporary fiction in general.) Bonnie riding around town finding legible bits of paper from diaries destroyed 26 years ago is too much of a stretch for me. And I find it hard to believe that someone wouldn't have tried to find her help... especially Gaelan's former high school sweetheart, the psychiatrist. The ending seemed all too abrupt and thoroughly neat for me too; I like things sussed out a little better than that.

Jenn’s Final Take: 3.5/5

Julie’s Review: I will admit when Lisa chose Sing Them Home as her book club pick, I was hesitant. It definitely wasn’t something that I would have picked up off the shelf and purchased, but isn’t that really the purpose of a book club, to force you to go outside your comfort zone? Sing Them Home started off strangely for me; I didn’t really care for the forefathers ghost theme and was scared that it was going to be a bit too mystical for me, but while it was woven throughout the book, it was in small enough doses that I did not feel that it overpowered the novel. Essentially, this is a family saga about how to learn from your past, heal from it and move on. I don’t even think that we fully understand how one event in our lives truly does shape our future self. That being said I do think that you can move on from that and to me that is what Sing Them Home is about.

Hope Jones was taken from her kids during a tornado in 1978 and now as adults, Larken, Gaelen and Bonnie all suffer the long lasting effects. What is interesting is how each of the children was affected by it. Larken substitutes her need for love by eating, Gaelen becomes obsessed with his physique and his bedroom prowess, and Bonnie seems to be stuck at the age of 10 where everything has a mystical, magical, and fantastical aspect to it. These are not easily likeable characters, each on of the children self-absorbed in their own way and yet none of them moves far away from Emlyn Springs. In fact, Bonnie still remains in town as their own “Flying Girl”. Giving an explanation to “Flying Girl” would be giving away a good tidbit in the story but I do believe that it ties directly into Bonnie’s personality. I couldn’t really identify with any of the characters in particular but I did enjoy the journey that each of them took us on. My least favorite was probably Bonnie and that was because I really just wanted her to grow up and act her age.

I did enjoy getting to read Hope’s diary and getting to know the younger versions of Larken, Gaelen and Bonnie. I think Larken was especially affected by her mother’s death in ways that she doesn’t even know or understand. I do agree with Jenn that these characters were self-absorbed but I think it was a coping mechanism. We did see each of them grow by the end of the book and to me that is what matters. One passage in the book really spoke to me:

“There’s suddenly this compulsion-not just to be a “good” mother,
but to be the “best” mother. No one expects fathers to be perfect. Fathers
are not bombarded with images of themselves, serenely cradling a newborn,
lounging about, immaculately and stylishly clad with their equally pristine
toddler” ~page 210

This is so true, even today. We see it on tv shows, movies and probably in our daily lives as mothers. There are always those moms that you perceive to be perfect and have it together. Its human nature to be competitive but that kind of stuff will drive you mad. I found it interesting that some things really don’t change decade to decade.

There are a couple twists in the book that I didn’t see coming and one that left me wanting more of a reason for the character thinking that way and we never went back to it during the novel. What I truly enjoyed about the book, though, are the Welsh traditions and culture. To me these were an integral part of the novel and whom the characters were.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this novel and more than likely will be purchasing Ms. Kallos’ book Broken for You when I am done with my very big “To Be Read” pile.

Julie’s Final Take: 4.5/5


Lisa's Review:

I can’t even tell you the reasoning behind my picking Sing Them Home as our book club pick, but it’s getting pretty obvious that I am easily swayed by well reviewed books. Now I didn’t really love this book and normally that wouldn’t be a problem, but for some reason I can’t really pinpoint my issue. I join my friends in saying that the beginning was a bit strange and certainly wasn’t necessary to the story, even though the author did make an effort to tie things together in the end.

Ultimately, this one gets an “eh” from me. I was certainly expecting more. I kept waiting for something to happen and though something did happen, it wasn’t powerful enough and I was still thinking “so what”. I get the feeling I was supposed to be moved to tears, but maybe I’m just too far gone on the cynicism scale. There was some unevenness to the plot, some things dragged out and some things just happened. More than once I found myself inferring that a certain event had occurred. Of course, I don’t need everything spelled out, but I don’t want to guess either. Strangely though, I still found myself compelled to read, this very long book (543 pages!). Something kept drawing me back - Kallos’ writing style I suppose. There’s a certain poetry to the prose and I particularly enjoyed reading Hope’s diary entries.

As much I want to wholeheartedly recommend this book, I can’t quite work up all of the required enthusiasm, so read at your own risk.

Lisa’s Final Take: 3.25/5

*Did you read it? Feel free to join the discussion by adding a comment. Let's get a dialogue going!