Tracey Lange is the author of the new novel What Happened to the McCrays?. Her other novels include We Are the Brennans. She lives in Bend, Oregon.
Q: What inspired you to write What Happened to the McCrays?, and how did you create your characters Kyle and Casey?
A: This book started with the idea of exploring divorce. Almost everyone has been impacted by divorce in some way; my own parents went through a messy and dramatic divorce when I was in middle school. It was hard on all of us and had lasting implications.
I knew I wanted to take a close-up look at two people who had fallen in love and built a life together, then it all fell apart for some reason.
From the start I decided on a dual point of view book,
telling the story from both perspectives, and I spent many months getting to
know Kyle and Casey—individually and as a couple—before I started the first
draft. After that they told me the story to some degree.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them?
A: Kyle and Casey grew up across the street from each other in a small town. They've known one another their whole lives and been a steady couple since high school.
As is the case with so many relationships, they’re drawn together because of a sense of shared values, yet they have different strengths and weaknesses—which makes them a good team for a long time. However, even the strongest and most loving relationships can have difficulty recovering from certain painful experiences.
Q: The novel is set in Potsdam, New York--how important is setting to you in your writing?
A: Setting can add so much context and depth to a story. I wanted a small, somewhat isolated northern town where people often had to depend on each other. Having lived in such a place myself for a long time I’m familiar with the personality of such a town, the grit and sense of community that comes with it.
Potsdam fit the bill, especially after I visited there and
dug into its history. It’s also home to two universities, which added another
nice layer to work with.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I hesitate to say, only because it’s a subjective
experience and readers often surprise me with what they take from my books. But
I do hope people will empathize with these characters, connect with the
importance of community, and leave the story with a sense of hope.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My current project is a bit of a departure. Although it's
still revolves around themes of family and community, it takes place in West
Virginia and also explores the opioid epidemic. As much as I love writing about
New York, it's been really fun and fascinating to explore a whole different
part of the country.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: If you’ve read my first two books, there are Easter eggs referring to the Brennans and the Connellys in this novel. I’m so curious to know if people spot them!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Tracey Lange.
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