Babble Book Club: Discussion TODAY with Farzana Doctor 6:00pm EST/3:00pm PST

Rebecca, I think for me the story has to come first. A novel takes a long time to write, and so the premise had better be something that holds my attention for a few years!

Issues regarding the market (which are really important) come later, in the revisions/editing process. I look for ways to make the story more palatable, interesting, accessible etc. at that stage.

One thing I try to do at readings is to share both serious and funny scenes, as way to communicate to the audience that this book isn't going to be a huge downer.

Thanks Kaitlin!

Catchfire, I was thinking a lot about mind and body connections during this book. The inspiration for the first page actually came from my sister, who is an RMT and Feldenkreis practitioner. She's often spoken to me about how not moving the body can have an impact on our emotions. 

As a writer, it's important to "show vs tell", and the body's motion (or lack of motion) is a lovely literary device!

[quote=Farzana]

I first heard about a story like Ismail's in the media many years ago. While I was disturbed by the death of the child, I was most obsessed by the question of how someone manages to go on living after making the biggest/worst mistake of his life. My research involved reading more of these media stories and imagining redemption. I didn't want to speak to a parent in this situation because it is such a painful topic.

I did worry a lot about the "sellability" of a book with such a serious/difficult premise. I still do. My biggest allies are booksellers and readers who let people know that this is really a book about redemption, creating family, as well as a love story. But, yeah, it can be a hard sell. Many parents have told me that they hesitated (at first) to pick up the book.

[/quote]

Thank you for being so candid about the research process.  I found myself - still find myself- thinking about Ismail, and that process of going on with life after that one pivotal moment of distraction.  The parts of the book that were the most difficult for me to read where those moments where he remembers his daughter; and those when he re-lives that day in his memory.  Is there a psychological connection between the idea of agonias and the physicality of the memories that Ismail experiences?

But as you say, the pain you experience through empathy with the characters is absolutely worth it as it also a story of healing, redemption, and the most unusual love story (a story of many loves/kinds of love).

kim elliott wrote:

Farzana wrote:

I first heard about a story like Ismail's in the media many years ago. While I was disturbed by the death of the child, I was most obsessed by the question of how someone manages to go on living after making the biggest/worst mistake of his life. My research involved reading more of these media stories and imagining redemption. I didn't want to speak to a parent in this situation because it is such a painful topic.

I did worry a lot about the "sellability" of a book with such a serious/difficult premise. I still do. My biggest allies are booksellers and readers who let people know that this is really a book about redemption, creating family, as well as a love story. But, yeah, it can be a hard sell. Many parents have told me that they hesitated (at first) to pick up the book.

Thank you for being so candid about the research process.  I found myself - still find myself- thinking about Ismail, and that process of going on with life after that one pivotal moment of distraction.  The parts of the book that were the most difficult for me to read where those moments where he remembers his daughter; and those when he re-lives that day in his memory.  Is there a psychological connection between the idea of agonias and the physicality of the memories that Ismail experiences?

But as you say, the pain you experience through empathy with the characters is absolutely worth it as it also a story of healing, redemption, and the most unusual love story (a story of many loves/kinds of love).

Agonias is term specific to Dr. James' work with Azorean immigrants, but it seems very related to experiences of depression and anxiety, both of which have somatic (body) manifestations, like Ismail's sweating.

This is a longer story than I can type here--but after writing the book, I learned from my father that he'd left me in a car when I was an infant, and I went into some physical distress (I recovered, needless to say). No one told me this story until the book was published. I wonder if my body remembered, and if this was what made the story so compelling to me.

@Kaitlin, I think so. 

It's really difficult to know for sure--it involves the unconscious mind. But I do believe that most of us operate on so many levels and that our bodies can remember things that our minds cannot.

Kaitlin McNabb wrote:

Your creation of visible for queer women of colour in the literary landscape is something that is not often (rarely) represented. The conversations felt real and vivid and are so important to expose.

Do you think Fatima represented Zubi to Ismail, and this is potentially how he would react to her in this situation or is there are difference between Ismail pre- and post-death?

I did want to create a character (Fatima) who would get under Ismail's skin and propel him forward. I very consciously chose to write her about the same age as Zubi would have been if she'd lived. I also wanted to find a way to mirror his marginality with hers.

@Farzana @Kaitlin - that is rather incredible, your personal connection to this story.   But I also believe that the memory of the body can work that way.

Thanks to all of you for reading the book. It's a real privilege to be able to share my work and have it so well received. 

This was fun! And the hour went by really quickly!

Egads! Has it already been an hour? This discussion has been great. Thank you for the link about the tour - I wasn't aware of it either.  I'm looking forward to reading your next book Farzana!