For this blog tour, we have an interview with Marie Chow, the author of Unwell.
What was the hardest thing about writing this book?
The hardest thing was being willing to say it was finally “finished.” I had the idea for the book a few years ago, had started and stopped several times. Parts of it had been completely taken out, others totally rewritten, and the desire to continue to try to perfect it was, at times, overwhelming. It felt like a constant merging of new and old, and the editing cycle felt tortuous and endless at times. Being able to say “this is it” and “I’m done” was both the hardest, and most liberating, part of this experience.
Which of your characters can you relate to the most?
I’ve had everyone from my dentist’s girlfriend to reviewers I don’t know ask, “This is semi-autobiographical, right?” And while it’s not, the main character is probably the one I relate to the most… that, followed by Yafeu. Is it a little awkward to say that I most-relate to the two main romantic protagonists?
Which part of the book was the easiest to write?
What is currently “the end” actually flowed the easiest and has the fewest revisions. When I finally decided where it was going to end, the writing part came easily.
Which actors would play the main characters in the movie version of the book?
For the female lead – some undiscovered Asian American actress who currently feels stuck in bit parts. For Yafeu, I would go with John Boyega.
Which songs would be on the soundtrack of the movie version of the book?
Passenger’s “Let Her Go” and Cher and Peter Cetera’s “After All”
Any future books in the works?
Yes! I have three children’s books (in addition to one that’s already out) as well as two mini-short story collections. I’m also writing a new novel, set primarily in 1930s Shanghai, so that I hopefully won’t have to continue to answer the question, “This is semi-autobiographical, right?”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Marie is a former teacher, education evaluator, and engineer. A lifelong student, she has degrees in degrees in chemical engineering, teaching, an MFA in writing, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Her writing focuses on bilingual and English-only children's books that feature mixed families, as well as literary and contemporary fiction focused on Asian and Asian American characters.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How do you tell your child that you won’t be there when they grow up? UNWELL is the raw, honest story of a mother who writes to her unborn child, sharing her decision of choosing not to be a mother. She doesn’t choose abortion. Nor does she consider adoption. Instead, she decides to give her child a fighting chance in life, without the angst and drama that’s shaped her own bittersweet life.
With a poignant lack of emotion, the young mother shares her life story. As the child of Asian parents who moved to America early in her life, the mother shares how her life disintegrated after her parents’ divorce. From upper middle class suburban to sharing her mean aunt’s house to a one bedroom apartment in a shabby neighborhood, this mother endures the indignity that comes with the change of status. From her father’s absence to her mother becoming a married man’s mistress, her story reads like a tragic Victorian novel set in the 21st century, but that’s where the similarity ends—she is definitely not a shy country miss and she certainly did not take the easy way out.
This amazing story chronicles the life of a woman who fought for everything she got, faced her demons and made the hard choices. Her fortitude and candor are disarming, her avant-garde views strangely endearing. You’ve never read a book like this and probably never will again. Get your copy today and take the literary journey of a lifetime. Through this glimpse into the life of a woman of integrity, sacrifice and love, you’ll feel her pain, live her failures and cheer for the meager joys that come her way. But the one thing you’ll never do… is forget her. Or her story.
Thanks for sharing!
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