Photo by Hunter Levitan
Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg is the author of the new novel Daughter of a Promise, which is based on the biblical story of David and Bathsheba. Blasberg's other novels include The Nine.
Q: Why did you decide to write an update of the David and Bathsheba story?
A: I have been studying Torah for about 20 years with a group from my temple. My first close reading of David and Bathsheba left me with so many questions. The debate as to whether their coupling was consensual felt incredibly modern and #MeToo.
What was more striking to me, however, was that Bathsheba did not have a voice in the story. I was inspired to give her one.
Q: What did you see as the right balance between the original story and your own version of it?
A: When I entered the Southampton Writers Conference Bookends fellowship, Meg Wolitzer offered the sage advice that the best retellings are told with a light touch. I wanted this novel to be told entirely from the woman’s point of view, and as such, important themes emerged that made it slightly different than the original.
Q: The writer Marjan Kamali said of the book, “As Betsabé navigates her place in New York after college graduation, she learns truths we all need to know about the balance between duty to others and duty to self.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love Marjan’s description. I would love readers to come away from the novel feeling Betsabé’s courage, knowing that tuning into your authentic desires is the most important first step in realizing a satisfying or happy life. So many of us start out accepting roles because they please or impress others.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: We are all born with intuition and wisdom. We also have power. I would love for my readers to be inspired to name their strengths and innermost dreams.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am writing fiction, portraying one of the minor characters in Daughter of a Promise as well as journaling our farm journey with a series of personal essays.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I am a mother to three adult children, a novelist, and most recently the steward of a regenerative farm. A common theme? I like to create things, specifically things that can be shared with the world.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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