THE 19TH WIFE
by David Ebershoff
Historical Fiction
www.Ebershoff.com
5 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, June 1, 2012!
New York Times Bestselling Author!
About the Book:
It is 1875, and Ann Eliza Young has recently separated from her powerful husband, Brigham Young, prophet and leader of the Mormon Church. Expelled and an outcast, Ann Eliza embarks on a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. A rich account of her family’s polygamous history is revealed, including how both she and her mother became plural wives. Yet soon after Ann Eliza’s story begins, a second exquisite narrative unfolds–a tale of murder involving a polygamist family in present-day Utah. Jordan Scott, a young man who was thrown out of his fundamentalist sect years earlier, must reenter the world that cast him aside in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death. And as Ann Eliza’s narrative intertwines with that of Jordan’s search, readers are pulled deeper into the mysteries of love, family, and faith.
Check out our Interview with the author here:
1) If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be?
The complexity of love. When I’m writing a book, the themes are buried just beneath the surface of the words and plot. Only when I’m finished do I become fully aware of what they are. Looking back at my four books of fiction, I realize I’m always wrestling with love’s complexity and how our hearts can lead us astray. At the end of a story in my second book, THE ROSE CITY, I say: “Passion for us all will remain a troublesome thing.” I think that might make for an interesting chat on Oprah’s couch.
2) When you got that first phone call announcing you had sold a novel, how did you react? How did you celebrate?
I was in New York City and I went to Central Park and lay down in the grass. It was a fine day in May and the sunlight fell through the leaves onto my face. I remember feeling as if I had just crossed a wide river, one that I had spent more than half my life trying to navigate. I didn’t know what awaited me but I knew I had pushed my foot into this distant shore. I was in the park about ten minutes and then I stood up and thought, Time to get back to work.
3) Be honest, how many drafts did you have to write for this book?
22 drafts. But I rewrote some chapters at least 50 times.
4) Your characters seem so alive and real...what's your secret?
Thank you. One word: Voice. With this book, one of the biggest challenges was to create the voices. When I’m reading I’m always looking for voices that sound as real and unique as someone I might meet on the street. There are some voices worth listening to, no matter where they take you. THE 19TH WIFE has multiple narrative voices and one of the most enjoyable parts of figuring how to write this book was creating voices my readers would want to spend time with. Voice is a big part of what I call the spell of reading.
5) Which came first, the title or the novel?
With this book, the title came immediately. I heard about Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young’s so-called 19th wife, and I remember thinking, The 19th what? How could anyone be someone’s 19th wife? It sounded almost science-fiction-y. It sounded like a Margaret Atwood novel. And I love Margaret Atwood and so I just plunged in.
About The Author:
David Ebershoff novels include THE DANISH GIRL, PASADENA, and THE 19TH WIFE. His books have won a number of awards and have been translated into twenty languages. THE 19TH WIFE was made into a television film and THE DANISH GIRL is in development as a feature film. Ebershoff teaches in the graduate writing program at Columbia University and is an editor-at-large at Random House in New York City.
David is available to call in or Skype in to book group discussions - he conducts them often and loves it! Book groups can contact David via his website: www.Ebershoff.com. He loves hearing from his readers!
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