Q&A with Anita Abriel

 

Photo by David Perry

 

 

Anita Abriel is the author of the new novel American Housewife. Her other novels include The Light After the War. She lives in California. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write American Housewife, and how did you create your character Maggie Lane?

 

A: I love books set in that [post-World War II] time period. It was such a formative time for women in America. So many things changed in American society after World War II and during the 1950s.

 

For Maggie especially, she savored her independence and being able to chart her own career. I loved writing about that and creating a character who didn't rely on a man.

 

Q: Was Maggie’s TV show in the book based on a particular show?

 

A: I watched a lot of shows in that general time period - The Donna Reed Show, Father Knows Best, and I always loved The Dick Van Dyke Show. So it wasn't based on those, but it was inspired by them.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Maggie and her husband, Teddy?

 

A: They love each other but they both have their own private demons that they have to work through to really be together and trust each other.

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about the role of women in television in the early 1950s?

 

A: I think it was a difficult time for women to break out into non-traditional roles in television. At the same time, it was a wonderful platform. For the first time, women had a large audience.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have a new book coming centering on three best friends following their college graduation through the next three decades.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I always love questions from my readers through my website, and I'm happy to join book clubs on Zoom!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Anita Abriel.