Q&A with Marie Bostwick

 

 

 

 

Marie Bostwick is the author of the new novel The Book Club for Troublesome Women. Her other books include Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly. She lives in Washington state.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Book Club for Troublesome Women, and how did you create your cast of characters?

 

A: It all started three years ago, because of a conversation with my mom, who was 89 at the time. Mom is an avid reader. We were discussing books one day when Betty Friedan's 1963 blockbuster, The Feminine Mystique, came up. Mom said, "I don't know if I ever told you, but that book changed my life." 

 

She hadn't mentioned this before, so I asked her to elaborate. It didn't take long for me to realize that I'd stumbled upon a really terrific idea for a book, a novel centered upon four ‘60s era women who form a book club and choose Friedan's blockbuster as their first pick. Over the course of the year, the books they read and the sisterhood they develop changes everything.

Q: The writer Adriana Trigiani said of the novel, “At its heart, this is a novel about ambitious women and the mentors that inspired them to excellence. This story is a time capsule of what was, which shows us who we are today.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Adriana is a brilliant writer and an incredibly insightful reader, and I think her words highlight some of the core themes of the book. 

 

The way the women in my book challenge and champion one another transform their lives, and also influence the lives of the generations who will follow.

 

As I look at my mother and her generation, I can see how that played out in real life, and how the trail she and the other women of her era blazed have made such a difference for women today. But it's also a reminder that, as much as some things have changed, the fact that women need other women remains. Sisterhood is our strength.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic among the four women?

 

A: The words realistic and familiar come to mind. If you've been fortunate enough to have a real friend, or hopefully a few, then you know that the road of friendship isn't always smooth. There are some bumps along the way, conflicts as well as camaraderie. 

 

To me, a true friend is someone who can tell you the things you need to hear but don't always want to hear. If you can stick together through that, then you've created a bond that will last no matter what life throws your way. It's not always easy, but it's an incredible gift. As one of the characters says in the book, "True friends are rare, and worth waiting for."

Q: With this novel, did you know how it would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: When I begin a book, I generally have a very solid idea of how it will end and where I want to leave the characters and my readers. That was the case with this book too. The final scene was very clear in my mind, and what I imagined at that point is basically what readers will find in that final chapter. Of course, I do make changes as I write, but they tend to come more in the middle of the story than at the end.

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm still in the conceptualization stage of my process right now, when I just spend a lot of time imagining characters and auditioning different plot points, settings, and personal histories in my mind. I don't like to talk about the book at this stage because I think it tends to suck some of the juice out of the project. That being said, I am planning to return to the 1960s. It's a fascinating era.

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Book clubs are loving The Book Club for Troublesome Women - there is just so much to discuss here!

 

To make things even more fun, I've created a free Book Club Party Kit with book-themed recipes, a musical play list, discussion questions, and a list of books for further reading for those who want to dig deeper into the subject matter explored in the novel. You can download it from my website. Just click on the link, and scroll down to the Party Kit. https://mariebostwick.com/books/the-book-club-for-troublesome-women/

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Marie Bostwick.