Author Interview: Janet Fox

Today I'm very happy to have Janet Fox - the brilliant author of the equally brilliant novel Faithful - for an author interview! I asked her a few questions about her book, about writing and Forgiven, sequel to Faithful - and here's what she has to say.

1. Setting in Faithful is obviously a very important part of the book - was there any particular reason for setting the book at Yellowstone National Park?

Yes – setting is hugely important to me as a writer. I believe that we are defined by our surroundings in life and in fiction. That said, Yellowstone has a special significance for me. My husband and I fell in love when we came west together to Montana, and I experienced the Park for the first time. And I feel that Yellowstone is a magical place. Geysers, hot springs, magnificent animals all coexist in the same amazing landscape. I wanted to set a story there, and Maggie’s story seemed perfect – setting a story about life and death in a place where life and death stand in balance at every turn. And, selfishly, I could go there again and again and do research. I never get tired of Yellowstone.

2. Similarly, why did you choose to set the book at the turn of the century?

Once I decided on my character (my first priority in story) and setting, I decided that 1904 would be a wonderful year to write about because the Old Faithful Inn was opened in June of that year. Then I began my research, and discovered all of the nuances of the period – first flight, first motion pictures, women’s suffrage – especially the changes that were happening for young women, and I discovered that they fit Maggie’s growth. Young women of that period had little say in their lives and future and I wanted to explore a character who rebelled against the constraints of society.

3. How did the title come about?

This was one of the easiest titles I’ve invented! It was such a natural – Old Faithful, to begin with, is the most well known geyser in the Park. And then I thought about my character’s relationship with her mother and how she was faithful to trying to uncover the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. And how her mother may or may not have been faithful to her family. And finally how being true to oneself – being faithful to one’s dreams – is so important to teens today as it was for Maggie.

4. In writing Faithful, what form(s) of research(es) did you do beforehand?

I did quite a bit of research. I spent a lot of time in the Park. There’s a new Research Center just on the edge of the Park and they were extremely helpful. And there are a handful of smaller museums and historic buildings in the area and the people there were wonderful. I used to live near Newport so I knew that area; and I read countless books and articles about the period. One of my favorite research tools is reading books written in the time period I’m writing about – they provide me with voice and language and the poetry of the language, the cadence and syntax.

5. Was Maggie a resemblance of a particular character or person you know?

No, actually. None of my characters comes directly from life. I borrow bits and pieces from people I know, but my characters all have distinct voices and come from somewhere deep inside, once I know what they want.

6. Maggie's emotions and struggle against social restraints are hugely realistic in this book. How were you able to manage such a realistic portrayal of her feelings?

I thought about how I might feel or how a teen today might feel under similar circumstances. How it would feel to be told who you could love, whom you could marry. How it would feel to be dragged around from place to place with no ability to say “no.” How it would feel to have to suppress love in the face of obligation. Those emotions don’t change with time and place.

7. Who among the characters is the closest in personality to you?

I like to think I’m a combination of several of them. Maggie’s intellect and desire, Mrs. Gale’s patience and generosity, Kula’s fierce determination. Put together, I’d like to think I have at least some of those traits.

8. Who or what is your greatest inspiration?

My mother. She started me on this path and gave me the tools and the encouragement. And, since she is gone, my husband and son who inspire me every day with their faith in me.

9. Name one book you wish you wrote. Why so?

The Lord of the Rings. I love how Tolkien blends terrific characters with agonizingly riveting plot with gorgeous description. Epic, universal, and beloved. Sigh. How I wish I could write something even a fraction as wonderful!

The beautiful cover for Forgiven!
Don't you just love it? I looove
the splash of red!

10. Can you give us a brief hint of what we can expect from the sequel to Faithful?

I can’t say too much or I might spoil some of the mystery in Faithful…but I will say that Forgiven (which is out May 2011) follows Kula, a secondary character in Faithful, to San Francisco in 1906 during the time of the Great Earthquake and subsequent fires. So you can see that setting is once again paramount to my story. But there is also a romance – and more importantly to me, I tackle a serious issue in a subplot that still has relevance today – but I will leave that to the reader to discover!

Thank you, Janet!

For more information about Janet and/or her books, visit her website at http://www.janetsfox.com. 

You can also say hi and follow her on twitter @janetsfox and on her blog, http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com.

Book Review: Faithful (Janet Fox)

Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet’s life is in tatters. Her mother has disappeared, and is presumed dead. The next thing she knows, her father has dragged Maggie away from their elegant Newport home, off on some mad excursion to Yellowstone in Montana. Torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her friends, from society, and verging on no prospects, Maggie is furious and devastated by her father’s betrayal. But when she arrives, she finds herself drawn to the frustratingly stubborn, handsome Tom Rowland, the son of a park geologist, and to the wild romantic beauty of Yellowstone itself. And as Tom and the promise of freedom capture Maggie’s heart, Maggie is forced to choose between who she is and who she wants to be.

In many ways, Faithful can be seen as a modern re-telling of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Both books are brought to life by heroines fighting - in their own way - against the manacles of the society of their time. Both books relay perfectly the struggle of these heroines and the extent of society's hold on them. It depicts the long road of their awakening. Both can be feminist and marxist texts, although debatable, of course. Faithful, however, is crafted more for the modern reader - for a young adult reader who has a penchant for classics, this book should not be missed.

I will be the first to admit I am one of those who have lived a sheltered life, but I know the thin line that defines that separates shelter and control. Margaret Bennet is on the other side of that line. Born within the high society of Newport in the late 1800s, Maggie's thoughts, actions and emotions are ruled by the confines of social etiquette. Her unconventional mother shames her in more ways than one - but her love and yearning for her is true. In her quest for answers, Maggie takes the reader with her back in time, immersed within the binds of her society. Maggie's narration is genuine, and with it is the ease in which I found myself understanding why and how she thinks, acts and feels like she does. The conflict between who she wants to be and who she has to be is clear in her words, and there is a real feel of entrapment in her decisions. She will earn your sympathy and admiration.

Secondary characters are worth mentioning too. As foils, they channel challenges to Maggie and invokes her to find herself amidst the chaos. Her father, who betrays and dictates her, can be seen as the epitomy of patriarchal society himself. Graybull is everything vile in that society, Mrs Gale what she can be, and Tom - Tom represents what Maggie can have if she chooses to be herself. He also represents what she will not have - riches, social standing - when she does. There are twists surrounding the characters, some will annoy, while some will clearly delight. Together, they pave way for Maggie's battle to find who she really is.

The narrative is outlined with a lot of connecting flashbacks cut to make readers wonder and thus highlighting the mystery of the disappearance of Maggie's mother. It is however, the setting that stands out in this book. It is so well described it takes your breath away. There is a huge emphasis on the beauty and importance of the landscape, as well as respect for nature. The dangerous and exhilarating feel of the wild is well described in the text; I myself wished to see Yellowstone after all I have read. For Maggie, Yellowstone is the picture of freedom - like nature, she desires to be unbidden. What more can be perfect to represent nature than Yellowstone itself?

The romance is not very integral to the plot - it is a tool used to depict Maggie's growth. Although of course, ever the romantic, I relished in the pure, innocent, 19th century (and unconventional) courtship that Tom and Maggie shared, including all the baggage that came with it.

Ultimately, Faithful is the tale of a young girl who journeys - both literal and metaphorical - far and wide to find herself and become what she wants to be, not what she has to be. It is a tale of finding love, loss and freedom.

Four Stars.


* Book received from UK Book Tours.