Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow
they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah.
From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the home, Ivy is captivated by its
quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially an heirloom
rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms. Called the Emmeline Rose for the
home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s
happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.
Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the
home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. As she attempts to rebuild
her house—and her resolve—she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a
half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the
women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and
anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled
single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey.
Writing a Woman’s Life columnist Yona Zeldis McDonough asks Olsen
some questions about how the idea “blossomed” into the finished novel.
Ella Joy Olsen lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a century old brick
bungalow with her husband and three children. She has spent nearly a decade on
the Board of Directors for the Salt Lake City Public Library system (and even
more years browsing the stacks), and is a member of Women’s Fiction Writers and
the best book club ever, (SLC Bibliophiles).
YZM: You’re a debut novelist; tell us a bit about your
journey to publication day.
EOJ: Well, like most authors, except maybe Stephenie Meyer
(Twilight), my journey was a long one. I started writing Root,
Petal, Thorn in 2010 with no idea that I was actually writing a book. I
thought I was teaching myself to write. But as the characters started to coming
to life on the page I wanted a permanent home for them.
I typed THE END for the first time toward the end of 2012. I say “for the first
time” because the manuscript had a long way to go. After much critical feedback
(and oodles of changes) I started querying. I likely sent over 200 query letters
and continued to make edits based on feedback I received from agents, until I
signed with Rachel Ekstrom of IGLA in late 2014! The manuscript sold to
Kensington in April 2015. It took until September 2016 to land on the shelves.
Whew… That’s a lot of years!
YZM: Can you talk about the challenges—and rewards—of using
multiple narrators?
EOJ: I have five narrators in my novel and several of my early
readers thought this would stop me from selling the manuscript…but I’d written
each story separately and I felt like each woman had a place in the
hundred-year-old home—and in the book—so I fought for it. However, I knew I must
braid the stories in a way readers wouldn’t get lost. A lost reader means a
closed book…and that’s the risk. So after each character was written, I started
braiding. Smoothing the transitions and creating a cohesive narrative was
probably the most challenging part of the whole process. I couldn’t have done it
without Scrivner.
YZM: Describe your typical writing day.
EOJ: On a perfect day I get up at 6:30am and start some coffee.
I work silently until my coffee is gone and the kids are out of bed. I make them
breakfast and get them out the door then I get back to work. My best writing
hours end about 10:00am. After that, I’ll mess around on social media, return
emails, edit, and so on. If I’m stuck on a plot point, I try to go on a hike.
The movement and silence help me sort things out.
YZM: Do you write in longhand or on the computer?
EOJ: Absolutely on the computer. I can’t write a full sentence
in longhand. With that said, I do keep an old fashioned calendar where I write
tasks for each day and sometimes brainstorm scenes. I love crossing things off a
list.
YZM: What kind of historical research did you do for this
book?
EOJ: I did a bunch! The story takes place in surroundings very
familiar to me: my hometown and my neighborhood (although in a fictional house).
However, the book spans a century, so I went to the Utah Historical Society and
combed through old photos to see what Sugar House looked like across the
decades. I found old newspaper clippings to determine which stores and buildings
were in the retail district throughout the years, and what events were making
headlines. I studied clothing styles and popular home furnishings. And I did a
lot of research on WWI. Although some of what I discovered was cut from the
manuscript, I didn’t know much about this war, and it was fascinating!
Hopefully, I’ll be able to use the rest of the information in another book.
YZM: Can you talk about the role Salt Lake City played in
the novel?
EOJ: I wanted to illustrate the effects of world-wide events on
a very personal level. So within the five stories the women live through WWI,
WWII, lunar landings, the Great Depression, and so on…but regardless of which
world event, each is seen through the lens of home and personal experience. As
such, Salt Lake City, the religious environment, and especially the geographical
features (particularly the Rocky Mountains) affect each character.
YZM: Your next book, WHERE THE SWEET BIRD SINGS,
is described as a companion novel; care to elaborate?
EOJ: Sweet Bird (as I call it) is a companion to ROOT, PETAL, THORN, in that
the books have one common character…the stories are linked, but not in a
sequel-y way. Each book could be read individually, or in any order. I think the
mysteries found in each novel will enhance the other story. I’m really excited
for Sweet Bird so here’s the teaser:
Though she has a loving husband, Emma Hazelton is adrift, struggling to
rebuild her life after a tragedy. But one day, a simple question and an old
black-and-white photograph prompt Emma to untangle the branches of her family
tree, where she discovers a legacy of secrets. Where the Sweet Bird
Sings explores the meaning of family and identity. What connects us to
another? Is it shared history? Is it ancestry? Is it genetics? Or is it love?
In this beautifully written and powerful debut novel, Ella Joy Olsen
traces the stories of five fascinating women who inhabit the same historic home
over the course of a century—braided stories of love, heartbreak and courage
connect the women, even across generations.
Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow
they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah.
From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the home, Ivy is captivated by its
quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially an heirloom
rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms. Called the Emmeline Rose for the
home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s
happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death.
Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the
home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. Day by day, as she attempts
to rebuild her house and her resolve, she uncovers clues about previous
inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy
learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her
heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a
troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own
journey. For every story has its sadness, but there is also the possibility of
blooming again, even stronger and more resilient than before…
Women's Fiction
Historical |
Saga [Kensington, On Sale: August 30, 2016,
Trade Size / e-Book, ISBN: 9781496705624 / eISBN: 9781496705631]
About Yona Zeldis McDonough
Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of six novels; her
seventh, THE HOUSE ON
PRIMROSE POND, will be out from New American Library in February, 2016. In
addition, she is the editor of the essay collections The Barbie
Chronicles: A Living Doll Turns Forty and All the Available Light: A
Marilyn Monroe Reader. Her short fiction, articles and essays have been
published in anthologies as well as in numerous national magazines and
newspapers. She is also the award-winning author of twenty-six books for
children, including the highly acclaimed chapter books, The Doll Shop
Downstairs and The Cats in the Doll Shop. Yona lives in Brooklyn, New
York with her husband, two children and two noisy Pomeranians.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy