LNS ~ Thank
you so much for hosting me today, Jill. Congratulations on this new and
exciting blog!
Author
/ Writer / Book Lover - which are you? Author
of The Life List (and a book lover!)
Title
of Fiction book and year it was published ~ Five Days Left, 2104
Author
name ~ Julie Lawson Timmer
Type
of book ~ Contemporary fiction, Women’s fiction, Book Club Fiction.
What
is it about this book that pulled you in?
LNS ~ I
fell in love with the characters and their heartbreaking dilemmas. Smart and
courageous Mara suffers from Huntington’s Disease. Even though I’ve had no
experience with this illness, I empathized with this loving mother and wife and
felt her angst in making life choices. The dialogue was so believable and the
storyline so poignant. Without giving
anything away, I was held rapt, wondering how this story would end. I knew
there was no easy or “good” option.
Is
there a relationship in the story that resonated with you?
LNS ~ The book has two
distinct stories—Mara, suffering from Huntington’s disease and contemplating ending
her life in five days, and a second story of Scott, a man whose foster son will
be returning to his mother in five days. Both storylines had wonderful, complex
relationships intertwined. But my favorite relationship was the one between
Mara and Harry, her taxi driver. Mara opens up to the driver, and the two share
private pieces of their lives, resulting in an unlikely and very sweet
friendship.
Do
you think that relationship was portrayed realistically?
LNS ~ I do. Mara is initially reserved and guarded. Once an energetic mother,
wife and attorney, she’s horrified at her physical state, the fact that her
body is betraying her. She mourns the loss of her independence. Harry treats
her with dignity, and slowly opens up about his own struggles with secrets and
shame.
Anything
else you want to tell us about the book without giving away too much of the
plot?
LNS ~ Make sure you have a box of
tissues available when you read this one. It’s heartbreaking. But it’s also incredibly
well-written, bittersweet, and very thought provoking—a perfect book club pick.
As I read, I wondered what I would do, in Mara’s position. Would I have the
strength and courage to spare those I love from my horrible fate?
JHA ~ Thank you so much, Lori for taking the time to recommend a great book for everyone to read! I enjoyed this book and hope you, the reader, do too!
If you'd like to connect with Lori:
Twitter:
@lnelsonspielman
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Nelson-SpielmanAttention readers ~ Have YOU read this book? If so, tell us what YOU thought of it!
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Interested in being a contributor? Contact me via email link on my website home page (www.JillHannahAnderson.com) You will also find the list of upcoming contributors under the Fridayfictionfriend tab. I'd love to hear from you if you have a great book to recommend!
I have a few questions for Julie. How much research did you need to do on Huntington's Disease? Did you know anyone with thedDisease? What made you choose HD for your story?
ReplyDeleteJill, I did a *ton* of research on HD, I didn't know anyone who had it, and that's why I chose it. I had a friend who died of inoperable cancer, and another who was diagnosed with ALS. I didn't want to write their stories, so I looked for a different disease and found HD.
DeleteI did months of research, reading every article, text book, memoir, etc I could find. After that, I wrote Mara's entire story, using the information I had. I then found an HD expert who was willing to discuss the book with me. I described each of Mara's scenes, and had the expert tell me if each scene was realistic or not, from an HD perspective. In many cases, I'd gotten some details wrong, so I revised the scenes to make them more accurate.
After I got a book deal and started making revisions for my editor, I did another big round of research, reading more and consulting more experts. I was blown away by the willingness of the experts to help.
It was so important to me to get the disease right, for the sake of everyone who has HD, and everyone who loves someone with HD. If I made any mistakes, those were my fault, not the fault of any of the experts.
I learned so much about HD just from reading your book. The insight and emotions you led the reader through were so believable and heartfelt, which made the reality of HD front and center. Great story!
DeleteThanks so much!
DeleteI loved Five Days Left. What is your next book about, Julie?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon,
DeleteThanks for your comment. I'm thrilled that you loved the book!
My second book is about step parenting, adoption and "rehoming," the practice where people adopt children and then give them away privately, without background checks or supervision. I hope you'll like that one, too!
I love finding new authors! Thanks so much for recommending this, Lori. And Julie, I'm looking forward to reading and learning. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs Lori mentioned, Normandie, you'll want a box of tissues close by. A very emotional read!
DeleteYou're welcome, Normandie. You're in for an emotional treat.
DeleteOh my gosh, just the description of the plot had me reaching for a tissue! Adding to my TBR list right now. I love books that teach me something new. Thanks, Jill and Lori and Julie!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Christine. And you're right, you'll learn a lot about Huntington's Disease. You'll also find yourself wondering what you'd do, in the same situation. Enjoy Julie's book and thanks for chiming in here.
Delete