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Links Mentioned:
* Kelli’s website and newsletter for updates
* Find Kelli on Instagram
* Kelli’s other books: Like a River From Its Course, Life Creative (afflinks)
* Books about Russia that Kelli recommends: The Whisperers, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, With God in Russia
* Share your thoughts from this interview in our forum!
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Questions We Discussed:
03:56 – Would you just take a moment to introduce us to your family and your other work outside of this book?
04:46 – What was the initial inspiration that led to the idea for this novel?
07:48 – I loved the literature connection and how it forms a bond in this high school class between James and Anne. What made you decide to weave that into the novel?
10:05 – We were all smitten by James and Viktor, these compassionate men who have such a steady influence on these women. Were there any real-life models for either of them?
12:55 – These three characters are so believable that I can draw similarities to my own life. I’m really interested in how as an author she works on developing characters like these and bringing them to life.
17:47 – How does Kelli guard her own heart when writing about such sad things?
21:05 – Many of us found ourselves delving into our own pasts and taking steps toward our healing as a result of reading this book. Did you find that you had to do the same while writing it, and if so, could you share a little bit about what that was like?
24:00 – Can you share more about your connections with Russia, and how she went about researching the book. Do you have recommendations for other historical fiction titles re: Russia you could recommend?
30:30 – I found it to be such an engaging read to go from section to section, each with a different woman’s name. What drew you to create the particular structure of the book?
33:45 – Could we discuss the symbolism of the cover and the title?
39:10 – How long did it take you to write this book? What is it like to be writing a story like this while managing normal day to day life?
40:45 – What are you working on now?