Kristin Hannah's Family Matters 4-Book Bundle: Angel Falls, Between Sisters, The Things We Do for Love, Magic Hour (37 page)

KH:
Rosa is entirely a cautionary tale for her daughter. A woman who loved the wrong man and stayed bound to that obsessive love for most of her life, Rosa highlights the dark places love can take us, and how ruined we can be by the purest emotions. She allowed herself to be used and humiliated in the name of love. She also put her daughter second in some ways. Even though Rosa’s “bad love” paid the bills, it taught Mikaela all the wrong lessons. It was no wonder that she ran out of town the first chance she got. Her own father wouldn’t have anything to do with her, and her mother seemed impossibly weak in the face of so-called love. In the end, however, we see Rosa as bent but not broken by her bad love. She is redeemed and she, in turn, helps to redeem her daughter. She reminds Mikaela of the difference between good and bad love; the difference between Julian’s passion and Liam’s purity. It is precisely Rosa’s dark past that allows her to see the light of her daughter’s future.

Yes, the accident definitely wakes up the adults in the family. Liam realizes how little he’s settled for and determines to change. Mikaela, too, realizes that she’s really been asleep for most of her life. The coma gives her another chance to become the woman she wants to be. And Rosa, who taught her daughter all the wrong lessons about life and love, gets the opportunity to see her daughter not follow in her footsteps.

RHRC:
“The measure of a man comes down to moments,” you write. What are the most pivotal moments for Liam during both the course of his life and the course of the novel? Do you think that Julian shares similar turning points? If so, what are they? How is Julian’s name significant—and ironic?

KH:
I think it’s inevitably true in life that we are the sum of our choices. Who we are is defined and sculpted by what we say and do. What we think tells us who we want to be; what we do is the measure of who we truly are. Liam’s whole world is crushed by the accident. When Mikaela goes into the coma, Liam becomes the solitary heart of his family. It falls on him to hold his grieving, frightened children together, tokeep their family intact. Additionally, he comes to the discovery of Mikaela’s first husband—and the magnitude of her love for Julian True. This is truly the darkest hour for Liam, and he knows it. He must choose: Do I risk losing Mikaela’s love in order to save her? Or do I hold on to her, keep her as mine, and ignore the other man who might be able to awaken her? Like all of us when placed in crucial situations, his character will be defined by the generosity or selfishness of the choice he makes.

As to Julian’s name, it is entirely significant. After all, he gave it to himself, chose it. When he was a young man with big dreams, he needed a name to match those dreams. The last name—True—represents the man he wanted to become in his youth, the idealized version of himself. Ironically, he could not have fallen further afield of his own dreams. He has grown into an untruthful, unloving, self-obsessed man. He is the most pathetic character in the piece; by the end of the novel, he knows and understands his shortcomings, and what those shortcomings have cost him, but he can’t change. He can’t give up the bright lights of fame; not even for love. And certainly not for truth.

RHRC:
You set many of your novels in Washington State and highlight its idyllic nature with that of big-city life (in this case, Hollywood). What about Washington speaks to you? How does the city of Last Bend play an important role in the novel? What draws Liam and Mikaela toward it—and away from it?

KH:
I was born in southern California and raised in Washington State, so these are two places I know well. I often choose them as settings because I can breathe life into these regions, show readers an intimate glimpse of how the locals live. In all of my novels, and none more so than
Angel Falls
, the setting is virtually another character. Last Bend is very much an idealized version of the small, mountain town I lived in during high school. It’s significant because it became a safe place for young Mikaela and her baby daughter, and at a time in her life when she longed for safety. Following her poor, semi-itinerant youth, the stability and friendliness of Last Bend really taught her the meaning of “home.”

Like all of us, Mikaela is drawn to the seductive lure of safety that a small town offers, even as she feels trapped by it. It is a fundamental human truth that sometimes we long for what we can’t have. Those in the big city long for quiet tree-lined streets and friendly neighbors. Small-town girls itch to test their mettle in high-rises and on big stages. For Mikaela and Liam, the point is acceptance. Both have to realize that they’ve made choices, turned away from opportunities and settled for a quiet, loving life in Last Bend. And that, if given the opportunity again—which Mikaela is—they’d make the same choices.

RHRC:
Liam constantly refers to himself as an “ordinary” man. How accurate is this assessment? In which ways is he extraordinary? What is it about Mikaela that is so compelling to him?

KH:
Liam believes he is ordinary, perhaps even slightly less than that. The truth is, of course, that he’s extraordinary; heroic, even. He is a selfless individual who feels love keenly and is willing to make any personal sacrifice necessary to protect his loved ones. To my mind, all he needs is a cape and tights and he could have his own comic book. To him, Mikaela is the impossible dream, the woman who he’d always imagined as beyond his reach. The head cheerleader as seen by the president of the computer club. Liam sees himself as unworthy of her. That’s why he accepts her less-than love—he never thought a woman like her could love a man like him. By the end of the novel, however, he has come to understand his worth, and he makes some changes. He is no longer willing to accept less than all of Mikaela. In demanding all or nothing, Liam is risking the woman he loves in order to become the very man she can believe in.

RHRC:
What made you decide to interweave science and faith throughout the narrative of
Angel Falls?
What about faith guides the characters to the story’s resolution? Do you think divine intervention helps Mikaela recover her memories? How do Rosa, a representation of faith, and Liam, a disciple of science, relate to each other through the course of the novel?

KH:
I am always fascinated by the push-pull of science and faith, especially when it comes to medical questions. We all know that medical science has limits; faith does not. In this novel, I was interested in discovering how quickly a man of science would turn to faith when medicine failed him. The underpinning of the entire novel is Liam’s faith. I never thought it was divine intervention that allowed Mikaela to recover her memories—that was simply luck of the draw. Brain injuries can go either way on memories, but the overwhelming number of patients do not become permanent amnesiacs. I do think, however, that there was certainly the touch of divinity in her recovery, as there always is in a “medical miracle” case.

RHRC:
You write, “Julian caught a glimpse of his own empty soul.” To what do you attribute his moment of clarity? Why has his life grown meaningless? What do you think happens to Julian after he leaves Last Bend? Do you believe that he’s become more capable of love, or do you see him as reverting to his Hollywood persona?

KH:
I always saw Julian as a brilliant man in a big hurry. He’s been running so hard and so fast and so long, that he hasn’t stopped to notice that he’s reached his destination and it’s an empty place. Hollywood, as lived in by Julian, is a cold place—the perfect reflection of his own empty soul. Until he sees real life in Last Bend and the woman he loved and the child he lost, he doesn’t really understand the lack in his life. In Last Bend, he finally slows down enough to see the truth: He’s alone. It doesn’t matter that he has friends and bodyguards and agents and sycophants around him all the time. In the end, he is alone, and he knowsthat the only way to stop being alone is to reach out to someone else, to change who he is; and he can’t do it. His life has grown meaningless because he hasn’t looked for meaning, hasn’t bothered to care about anything but his own carnal and physical pleasures. Ironically, in caring only about himself, he has rendered himself meaningless. At the end of the novel, I believe that he thinks he’s grown more capable of love because of Jacey and Mikaela, but it’s yet another self-delusion. Julian will return to Hollywood and merge into the Ferrari-fast traffic of his old life. Someday, when his star dims, he will see the cost of the life he’s chosen, and by then it will truly be too late.

RHRC:
The word “forever” sounds a constant refrain in this book. Was this a word you returned to often as you were writing? What does “forever” mean to Mike and Liam at the beginning of their lives together, and how has their definition of the concept changed by the novel’s end? What does “forever” mean to you?

KH:
Obviously, “forever” is about the future, and in a novel where the future is so uncertain, tomorrow becomes the life ring that Liam and the children hang onto. More importantly, I think that “forever” is the representation of idealized love. In a world where so many marriages end in divorce, it’s important to remind people, and ourselves, that love can in fact last a lifetime, and that sometimes, if we’re very careful and lucky, we can stay in love with the same person for the whole of our lives. That’s the crux of this novel: Mikaela and Liam realize that their vows really were built to last, as was their love. This time, when Mikaela looks up at Liam and says “forever,” she means it from the bottom of her soul, with no reservations. To me, there’s nothing more romantic than the idea of re-falling in love with your own husband. And I absolutely, completely believe in the kind of love that lasts forever. But it doesn’t come easily. That’s the real secret; true love takes hard work.

RHRC:
The Liam and Mikaela pictured at the beginning of the book are markedly different from the couple at its conclusion. Why did their life seem so idyllic before Mikaela falls from her horse? What do you think would have happened to their relationship had she not had the accident?

KH:
The answer to your question lies in the word “seem.” That was the point of the opening of the novel. Liam and Mikaela seemed to have a perfect marriage. Someone on the outside, looking in, would have said that they were perfect for each other. The truth was, they were hidden to each other, trapped in a quiet bubble of mutual pretense. Mikaela respected and cared for Liam; he adored and revered her. Neither one truly loved the other in the unconditional way that leads to the possibility of forever. I believe that without the accident, Liam would have passively adored Mikaela for the rest of his life—and someday she would have left him, either physically or spiritually. They didn’t have a true marriage before the accident. They had a family. There can be a difference. Their journey together is that of falling in love, really for the first time. Previously, the bulk of their relationship was about Liam “saving” Mikaela and her thanking him.

RHRC:
Are there any writers or books that you were drawn to while writing this novel? (Did you reread
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
, perhaps?) Which authors are the greatest influences on you and your writing?

KH:
Hmm. I’m not sure which authors are the greatest influence on my writing, but I can certainly tell you a few of my favorite authors and favorite books. First and foremost, I’m a Pat Conroy fan. I kneel at the altar of his words, his wit, and his insight. His books take me from laughing out loud one minute to sobbing the next. It’s my very favorite kind of read. Also, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King. I’ve been reading him since high school and he just knocks it out of the park sometimes. No one is better at reminding us of how it felt to be a kid. I have to mention Alice Hoffman, too. Pure magic. Additionally, in no particular order, I adore: Anne Rivers Siddons, Judith McNaught, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Megan Chance, Ann Hood, Jacquelyn Mitchard, LaVyrle Spencer, Harlan Coben, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Sue Miller, Ann Tyler, and Anita Shreve.

RHRC:
Do you have any special routines that stoke your creative juices while you’re writing—or a system that works best for you while putting together a book? What are they?

KH:
My special routine is panic.
Oh, no, what now?
is always my first thought when I have to start a new book. I’m always certain that the well has run dry and I won’t find another good story. Then, miraculously, I do. Once I’ve got the idea, I do have a routine of sorts. I write longhand on yellow legal pads with a certain kind of pen. I let the book blossom for me at this point, following the characters wherever they lead. At some point, I take control again and start whipping everyone into shape. This editing phase usually lasts about six months and is my favorite part of the process. I guess I don’t particularly like mining for the diamond, but I really enjoy cutting it into a gem.

RHRC:
Is there a particular story idea that’s currently sparking your imagination? What can readers expect on the shelves next from you?

KH:
As we speak, I’m putting the finishing touches on my latest novel,
Night Road
. Like most of my books,
Night Road
has grown out of my life experiences. In this case, it’s about being a mother during a terrible, wonderful, awful time—your child’s senior year of high school. I know it sounds crazy, but that was one of the best years of my life, and one of the worst. There was so much pressure on all of us—the kids, the parents, the community. The kids are poised on the precipice of this new life and they’re desperate to move forward even as they are terrified to leave home. We mothers are in the same boat. We want our kids around us, young and pliable and loving, and we want them to grow up and get serious and stay responsible. And then there’s the party scene and the kids’ sense of invincibilty. We parents are all too aware of how vulnerable they really are. So I took all of the emotion, all the things I did, didn’t do, and wish I’d done, and threw them into the vat of fiction. Out came
Night Road
. Part love story, part woman-coming-of-age-in-the-middle-of-her-life story, part cautionary tale, I think this is a novel that every mother should read. I’m really proud of it.