In her haunting debut novel THE UNDERCURRENT, Sarah Sawyer masterfully weaves together the raw complexities of motherhood, long-buried family secrets, and obsession across two drastically different American landscapes. Following protagonist Bee as she navigates the fog of postpartum depression while being pulled back into the mysteries of her Texas childhood, this atmospheric thriller shifts between the scorching streets of Austin and the cold coast of Portland, Maine. In this exclusive Jen's Jewels interview, Sawyer opens up about drawing from her own experiences of early motherhood, her meticulous approach to crafting multiple timelines and perspectives, and how her current role as a boarding schoolteacher influences her relationship with social media. Join us as we dive deep into the creative currents that shaped this compelling exploration of family bonds, hidden truths, and the transformative power of becoming a parent.
Jennifer Vido: THE UNDERCURRENT explores complex themes like motherhood, obsession, and long-buried family secrets. What inspired you to write a story that intertwines these elements, and how did you balance the different timelines?
Sarah Sawyer: I think that motherhood is a kind of obsession: in the early days, you’re thinking all the time about when your child eats or sleeps, and then they go to college and suddenly you’re thinking about how much beer they’re drinking! In all seriousness, though, I wanted to write a story that considers motherhood in a more complex way than the version I see so often in the cultural conversation. I also think that motherhood can refigure our perception of our own childhoods; not everyone has a buried secret, but we all see our families in a new way when we become parents ourselves.
Jen: Bee, the main character, grapples with postpartum depression while being drawn back into her childhood memories. How did you approach writing Bee’s emotional journey, and why was it important to include this aspect of her experience?
Sarah: At first, I imagined that Bee was just bored, but through the editing process she became more obsessive and depressed. I drew heavily on my own long-ago experience as a new mother: I never experienced postpartum depression like Bee, but I did my fair share of sobbing and leaking in those early days, and for me the physical aspects of motherhood were very visceral and, as Bee says in the novel, “astonishing.” Each of the three mothers in the novel has her own reaction to motherhood, and it was important to me to make them distinct and at the same time share the common thread of amazement at the choices they had to make and the changes motherhood had wrought in their lives.
Jen: The setting plays a significant role in THE UNDERCURRENT, shifting between Austin, Texas, and Portland, Maine. How did you choose these locations, and how did they shape the story?
Sarah: I grew up in Austin, and as my brother will tell you, the opening setting of the novel is not especially fictional: we lived in a ranch house on a dead-end street with a field at one end. I also lived briefly in Portland in my early twenties, and I wanted the other setting to be coastal and cold, so Maine seemed to fit. The shift in settings is supposed to reflect Bee’s attempt to leave her past behind. She has gone as far as she can, in distance and in sensibility, from her old life.
Jen: The novel is told through multiple perspectives, which can add layers of complexity to a narrative. What challenges did you face in crafting distinct voices for your characters, and how did you decide when to reveal key pieces of information?
Sarah: I probably made it more difficult than it needed to be, but it certainly required many color-coded charts and large sheets of paper. The voices were distinct to me from the start, but it was difficult to decide when and how to reveal the “clues” to the mystery because of the multiple timelines. Each of the three narrators misunderstands some key element of the story, so I had to rely heavily on visual cues to reveal the truth to the reader by the end.
Jen: THE UNDERCURRENT features strong character dynamics, especially regarding family and relationships. Which character did you find the most challenging to write, and which surprised you the most as their story unfolded?
Sarah: They were all challenging in their ways—they’re frustrating people!—but Bee was the most difficult for me in the beginning because she is so stuck in her rut. Her first scene with Leo surprised me, and after I wrote that I felt like I had a key to understanding her better. She’s a little bit reckless, and she doesn’t quite know why. Diana came most easily to me, but her discovery of the arktoi was a delightful revelation…to her and to me!
Jen: Themes of family bonds and their breakdowns are central to the plot. What do you hope readers will take away from the relationships between Bee, Gus, Leo, and their families?
Sarah: My husband always laughs at me when we watch television together because I’m always yelling at the parents--or the lovers or the detectives! - who seem to be just one question away from finding out the truth. I’m ruthlessly curious, and while I’m sure my children would tell you I ask way too many questions, I hope that reading the novel will help people remember to listen more and pay a little more attention to the people they love.
Jen: Social media has become essential for authors to connect with readers. How do you approach engaging with your audience on platforms like Instagram or X, and how do you balance that with your writing time?
Sarah: I’m a full-time teacher at a boarding school, so my time spent with teenagers has made me more than a little wary of spending too much time on social media. I’ve been trying to learn the basics, though! There’s such a passionate and robust world of readers out there. I think I may need to hire my daughter, who is a first-year student in college, to take over for me…apparently my posts are a little dull!
Jen: Without giving too much away, can you tease what readers can expect from your next project? Are there any recurring themes or new genres you're excited to explore?
Sarah: I’ve been kicking around a new idea: there are illuminated manuscripts and AI programmers, which is to say that I’m thinking about social media. That’s all I can say for now!
Jen: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. Your insights into THE UNDERCURRENT and your writing journey have been truly fascinating! We look forward to seeing what’s next for you.
Sarah: Thank you so much!
An overwhelmed new mother becomes obsessed with the unsolved disappearance of a young girl from her small Texas hometown—and unearths her own family’s dark secret.
It’s 2011 and Deecie Jeffries’s missing person’s case in Austin, Texas, is still cold. New mom Bee, struggling with postpartum depression, is living in Portland, Maine, having left Austin–and those memories–far behind. Until Leo, her childhood crush and her estranged twin Gus’s best friend, suddenly resurfaces, drawing Bee back into their shared past.
Bee’s predictable life is upended, pushing her to return to her childhood home and piece together a neighborhood’s shattered history. Bee becomes consumed with a need to uncover the truth about Deecie’s disappearance and what happened to the families who lived across the field from one another—Gus, Leo, and their mothers: Mary, a homemaker, whose only escape is the local community theater, and Diana, a serious academic dedicated to her studies.
Told in multiple perspectives with two different timelines, The Undercurrent is a gripping portrait of motherhood, obsession, broken family bonds, and buried secrets.
Mystery [Zibby Books, On Sale: October 8, 2024, e-Book, / ]
Sarah Sawyer is an English teacher who lives and works at a boarding school in western Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Amherst College and the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English. The Undercurrent is her first novel.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry, earning acclaim as the award-winning author of the Gull Island series. Her debut novel, "Serendipity by the Sea," secured the prestigious Best First Book award from the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Contest. In 2024, Vido's talent garnered further accolades, with Baltimore Magazine readers naming her Best Local Author in their annual Best of Baltimore poll, while the Baltimore Sun acknowledged her with an Honorable Mention in their Best of 2024 Author category. When not writing fiction, she interviews authors for her weekly Jen’s Jewels column, leads water exercise classes, and directs a legal nonprofit. Currently residing in Maryland, she and her husband are proud parents to two grown sons and a rescue dog named Fripp.
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