From Kline's Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: You write, “For many reasons, [A Piece of the World] was the most difficult book I’ve ever written.” What are some of the reasons why?Visit Christina Baker Kline's website.
A: It was the first book I’d ever written about a real story. Orphan Train was real, but my characters were fictional. The characters in A Piece of the World are based on real people, and some of the people in the novel are alive today. I had to enter with eyes wide open.
The fact that it’s a true story made other things more difficult. In real life, Christina Olson did things I would not have chosen as a novelist, but because I was trying to stick with the facts, I had to work backwards from the consequences of her actions.
Q: So what did you see as the right blend between the actual Christina Olson and your fictional character?
A: That part was fairly easy. I set the task of...[read on]
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--Marshal Zeringue