Ask the Author: Angie Kim
Answered Questions (41)
Angie Kim
Hi Edward! I love libraries AND I love book clubs, so yes, I'd be happy to. My email (also available on my website) is angiekimbooks@gmail.com. Please send a zoom link and I'll see you then!
Angie Kim
Thank you so much, Elyse!
Angie Kim
Hi Renee! Thank you so much. I think I missed this when you first posted it, so you've probably already read it. I really hope it resonated with you!
Angie Kim
Hi Chris! Thank you so much. Hope you love it! (And Janet is great! Tell her I said hi!)
Angie Kim
Mike, first of all, huge thanks for reading HF and APO, and for caring about authors' royalties! There's no simple answer, but I think it's safe to say that authors generally get more royalties from hardcover book sales than ebooks, paperback sales, or audiobook sales. But it depends hugely on the publisher, the specifics of each author's contract, whether the reader bought the book/ebook on sale, where you bought the book, etc., etc. I think most of us authors would say that we appreciate your buying our books (or borrowing from the library) in whatever format is best for you. Thanks again, Mike!
Angie Kim
Oh no! My publisher handles the GoodReads giveaways, so I'm not sure what happened, but I'm so sorry, and I'll let the marketing team know and pass along your message and address. Please let me know once you receive it. Thank you for reading, and I hope you love it!
Angie Kim
Thank you so much, Nancy! Personal recommendations means so much, and I'm so happy that both my books resonated with you!
Angie Kim
Hi Gloria! I think I'm probably even more excited than you are (haha)!!! In all seriousness, I think Ethan Hawke would be perfect to play Adam, and his wife and other members of his production team are so thoughtful and smart in how they interpret the story. I'm really excited! Thank you!
Angie Kim
Hi Julie! I can't tell you how many similar messages/emails I've gotten from doctors and nurses! Thank you so much for letting me know. This was one of my main hopes for the book, that it would help all of us rethink our automatic assumption that nonspeaking = nonverbal/non-understanding/non-thinking. So grateful to you for taking the time to read and to send this message!
Angie Kim
Hi Leah! Thank you so much for writing. What a generous, wonderful message. As someone who started writing later in life (in my 40s), I wish you the best of luck and lots and lots of resilience in starting your own writing journey. I'm still touring and doing lots of events, but I hope to start my next book soon. Thank you so much again!
Angie Kim
Hi Adam! Thank you so much for your thoughts about your mom. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I love that you're still thinking about what she would have loved reading now, 22 years after her passing. What an honor to her memory!
The question about sacrifice is such an interesting one, as I often describe Miracle Creek as a story about extreme parenting sacrifices. Young's and Pak's sacrifice in bringing Mary to America (especially since they had to separate the family in order to do so) is certainly a huge sacrifice, and Teresa, Kitt, and Elizabeth all made big, life-changing sacrifices as well (in becoming full-time caregivers to their children). My first impulse was to say that the most subtle sacrifice question was Elizabeth's decision to discontinue all therapies for Henry, as she was "sacrificing" her ideal preconceived view of what a "good mother" should do for her child--i.e., pursue any and all means to make her child the most neurotypical, socially popular kid she can. But that's not really a parenting sacrifice; rather, it's her growing as a person and realizing that she had been wrong. So maybe the better answer is that the most subtle sacrifice in the book is the position Young takes at the end of the book (in her last scene with Pak and Mary), in that she is willing to do something that's painful as a mother so that she can help her child to become a better person. (Sorry, I'm being cryptic because I don't want to say anything that's a spoiler. Hopefully, you understand what I'm saying!)
Thank you for such a thought-provoking question that made me think and re-read parts of Miracle Creek, which I haven't done in a long time!
The question about sacrifice is such an interesting one, as I often describe Miracle Creek as a story about extreme parenting sacrifices. Young's and Pak's sacrifice in bringing Mary to America (especially since they had to separate the family in order to do so) is certainly a huge sacrifice, and Teresa, Kitt, and Elizabeth all made big, life-changing sacrifices as well (in becoming full-time caregivers to their children). My first impulse was to say that the most subtle sacrifice question was Elizabeth's decision to discontinue all therapies for Henry, as she was "sacrificing" her ideal preconceived view of what a "good mother" should do for her child--i.e., pursue any and all means to make her child the most neurotypical, socially popular kid she can. But that's not really a parenting sacrifice; rather, it's her growing as a person and realizing that she had been wrong. So maybe the better answer is that the most subtle sacrifice in the book is the position Young takes at the end of the book (in her last scene with Pak and Mary), in that she is willing to do something that's painful as a mother so that she can help her child to become a better person. (Sorry, I'm being cryptic because I don't want to say anything that's a spoiler. Hopefully, you understand what I'm saying!)
Thank you for such a thought-provoking question that made me think and re-read parts of Miracle Creek, which I haven't done in a long time!
Angie Kim
Thanks so much, Greg! So glad you enjoyed the interview at the end of Miracle Creek. And haha, even my litigator husband said there were too many objections in the first draft, so I suspect even you might have gotten sick of all of them! Thank you again.
Angie Kim
Hi Savannah! Thank you so much for your question. I think many of my creative writing students (who are nonspeaking autistics) would definitely agree with you about the trauma of ABA; many of their stories and essays are about the shame and trauma of that experience. I think of Miracle Creek and Happiness Falls as companion novels, in that MC focuses more on the parenting angle and HF focuses more on the nonspeaking child and siblings' perspectives. I didn't go into ABA itself in HF, but instead focused on the alternative communication therapies and methods (spelling and typing) that so many ABA proponents fight and are skeptical of. I hope this answers your question!
Angie Kim
Hi Mark. First of all, thank you so much for listening and for reaching out. As for your question, I do address the complicated and sometimes toxic family dynamics that surround time/energy-intensive conditions. (The character in Happiness Falls has a dual diagnosis of autism and mosaic Angelman syndrome). In particular, the parents in my novel go through a near-divorce situation due to the tension between them that stems from the different philosophies they have toward various treatment protocols. I hope you'll give it a read to see if it might shed some light or at least make you feel like you're not the only one going through this type of a situation. I'm sorry I can't be more definitive than that. In any event, I'm sorry you're going through this and my thoughts are with you.
Warmly,
Angie
Warmly,
Angie
Angie Kim
Hi Natalie! First of all, I loved the review for Happiness Falls you wrote. Thank you so much! As for B&N, I don't think you can post a review of the book until August 29, when it's officially out. (Same with Amazon and other retailers.) I'm guessing they refused it due to the book not being available and the "profanity" is a mislabel. Thank you for trying, and I bet if you post it on August 29 (or any time after), you'll be able to post it. Let me know if that makes sense!
Angie Kim
Hi Natalie! First of all, I loved the review for Happiness Falls you wrote. Thank you so much! As for B&N, I don't think you can post a review of the book until August 29, when it's officially out. (Same with Amazon and other retailers.) I'm guessing they refused it due to the book not being available and the "profanity" is a mislabel. Thank you for trying, and I bet if you post it on August 29 (or any time after), you'll be able to post it. Let me know if that makes sense!
Angie Kim
Hi Eileen. Thank you so much for your review of Miracle Creek! I haven't read The Expats yet but I got both the audiobook and regular book just now after reading your question. Thank you for the recommendation!
Angie Kim
I'm really happy to say that I am a full-time writer! I still have kids to take care of and drive around, but that's getting easier as they get older. I'm also very lucky in that my husband does more than his share in terms of household and kid-related chores, not to mention doing all the cooking and grocery shopping. I spend a good 8+ hours every day writing and doing writing-related things, which is good because I am an extremely slow writer and need all the time I can get!
Angie Kim
Thank you so much for reading, Bob. I'm so glad you loved it! I'm currently in the process of writing my next book, Happiness Quotient. I'm not sure yet when it will come out, but my best guess is 2023 or 2024. (Fun fact: I saw your question during a coffee break while writing a scene involving Shannon, the defense lawyer from Miracle Creek!) Thanks again for reaching out!
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