Sharon G. Flake is the author of the new young adult novel The Family I'm In. Her other books include the YA novel The Skin I'm In. She worked as a youth counselor and also worked for the University of Pittsburgh in public relations, and she lives in Pittsburgh.
Q: What inspired you to write The Family I’m In?
A: Young men. I meet them all over the nation. They share bits of their lives with me, and unabashedly admit to loving my books and seeing themselves in my characters.
In this novel, I wanted to delve into friendships between young men, as well as their relationships with their fathers. As a novelist, I want to give male readers the space to feel seen, heard, and valued; to be vulnerable. A good book can do that and more.
Q: What do you see as the relationship between this new novel and your previous books The Skin I’m In and The Life I’m In, and how do you think your characters have changed from one book to the next?
A: From the minute The Skin I'm In hit bookshelves in 1998, readers clamored for more. And frankly, that love and appreciation for the characters, storyline, and author are equally as strong today.
That is also one reason I think The Life I'm In, the second novel, became a finalist for one of the biggest literary prizes in the world. In this novel, readers get to see Maleeka in a whole new light--self-sufficient and independent, establishing clear boundaries, and speaking her truth. In the first novel she was bullied; afraid of her own shadow.
Maleeka's tormentor, Char, evolves in the second novel as well. Truth is, many readers despised Char in the first novel. But they were curious about her background, and wanted a better life for her.
I am happy to report that Char becomes an overcomer, who learns forgiveness, the value of second chances, and empathy. But it's a long road for her, one that also involves Human Trafficking.
The boys tell their own story in The Family I'm In. Any questions readers may have had about John-John and his feelings for Maleeka are answered in this novel.
All four main characters from the first novel are weaved in through the others. Maleeka, John-John, and Char get to narrate one novel each: The Skin I'm In, The Life I'm In and The Family I'm In.
Q: The Kirkus Review of The Family I'm In called it a “thought-provoking portrayal of growing up and defining yourself as a young man.” What do you think of that description?
A: I think they got it right, in part. I wanted male readers to explore for themselves what it meant to be a young man, a Black one especially.
I want them to feel vulnerable enough as readers to have a multitude of conversations with themselves and their peers about what it means to be a young man today, how beautiful and how tough it might be, how understood and misunderstood they think they are.
In other words, I want my book to be one of the pathways that young boys take on the road to expressing and better understanding themselves and their world.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: As an author, I know very little at the start of a novel. With The Family I'm In, I knew I wanted to write about young men from The Skin I'm In, but not much more. I like to follow my characters, to trust them on the journey.
Of course at times I have to tell them they are headed in the wrong direction or about to make more work for me. But I am a good follower, and I like to trust my gut as an author.
As a result, readers feel that element of surprise on every page and tell me so. They like how bold and honest my characters are. And that they are not perfect, but telling relatable stories that have long-lasting impact. I love what I do!
Q: What are you working on now? Will you return to these characters again?
A: Currently, I am writing a follow up to my middle grade novel Once In a Blue Moon.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Readers can reach out to me on Facebook, and twitter, along with Instagram and Tik Tok. I love to hear from them.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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