Ask the Author: Sarah Shoemaker
Answered Questions (7)
Sarah Shoemaker
The chances of my giving the world a Mr. Darcy are not good. While I enjoyed writing Mr. Rochester, I can tell you that such a book is very difficult to write, and I am not particularly interested in making a career of writing about other characters that may interest other readers. I hope that is not disappointing to you. But I will say that I hope that you will find my next book to be as good a read as Mr. Rochester!
Sarah Shoemaker
Paulette, first, let me thank you for your kind words about Mr. Rochester! Secondly, yes, indeed there is not yet news about my new book, but I am hoping that will happen within the next several months. I will warn you, however, that it will be somewhat different from Mr. Rochester, but still a good read, I think!
Sarah Shoemaker
Charmaine, first let me say that I am really pleased that you enjoyed reading Mr. Rochester, and I am indeed working on a new novel. However, this one is not based on another novel, nor is it the story of another fictional character. Actually, there is not another fictional character who struck me as needing his story told in the way I was moved to tell Rochester's story. And I must say that I found it much more difficult to do that kind of thing than I had assumed it would be. Nevertheless, I hope that you will enjoy my next book as well, and please keep an eye out for it in another year or so. Until then, happy reading! Sarah Shoemaker
Sarah Shoemaker
After a lot of consideration, I think I would like to be in the World War II years in England, the time of JAMBUSTERS (seen on Masterpiece Theater as HOME FIRES), THE CHILBURY LADIES' CHOIR, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY, and EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN, and many other novels. This was a time of serious threat of invasion, but also a time when many men were called to war and women, many of whom had never had a life outside the home, had to step forward and take over what had once been man's work. It was a scary time, but also a time of great emancipation for women and a time when everyone was called upon to be brave and to stand up and bear whatever difficulties occurred. It was not easy, but still freeing.
Sarah Shoemaker
Yes, indeed, when I first read JANE EYRE, I was intrigued by Mr. Rochester. I wasn't sure what to make of him---he seemed so changeable: angry sometimes, tender other times, seemingly attracted to Jane, but also appearing to woo Miss Ingram. And then it turns out that he keeps his insane wife locked away in an upstairs apartment! I didn't really know what to make of all that, but I did feel a sort of compassion for him, for it seemed as if he must have had a difficult past.
It was a later reading, however, that really piqued my interest. My book group read and discussed JANE EYRE, and among the group there were varying opinions about Rochester. What were we supposed to make of this guy? What did Charlotte Bronte intended us to think of him? It seemed to me that Bronte intended us to think that Jane was right in coming back to him---which Jane did, even without knowing that Rochester's wife had died and he was then free to marry. And it seemed clear to me at the end of JANE EYRE that Bronte had written a happy ending for the two of them.
So, as I pondered all that, I thought perhaps someone needed to write Mr. Rochester's story---to write a story that would help the reader understand where he was coming from, what his background might have been, and (I hoped) feel more empathy toward him. In a moment of rash and optimistic ambition, I decided I could be that person. And, yes, I do hope that the reader comes away from MR. ROCHESTER with a feeling of compassion for him.
A couple of months ago I ran across a quote from Toni Morrison that touches exactly what I tried to do: "If there is a book that you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
Thanks for asking that very interesting question!
It was a later reading, however, that really piqued my interest. My book group read and discussed JANE EYRE, and among the group there were varying opinions about Rochester. What were we supposed to make of this guy? What did Charlotte Bronte intended us to think of him? It seemed to me that Bronte intended us to think that Jane was right in coming back to him---which Jane did, even without knowing that Rochester's wife had died and he was then free to marry. And it seemed clear to me at the end of JANE EYRE that Bronte had written a happy ending for the two of them.
So, as I pondered all that, I thought perhaps someone needed to write Mr. Rochester's story---to write a story that would help the reader understand where he was coming from, what his background might have been, and (I hoped) feel more empathy toward him. In a moment of rash and optimistic ambition, I decided I could be that person. And, yes, I do hope that the reader comes away from MR. ROCHESTER with a feeling of compassion for him.
A couple of months ago I ran across a quote from Toni Morrison that touches exactly what I tried to do: "If there is a book that you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
Thanks for asking that very interesting question!
Sarah Shoemaker
CURRENTLY READING: "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng (for the second time! My book club is discussing it next week, by my recommendation.
ON MY SUMMER LIST: "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" by Jennifer Ryan; "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown; "The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin; "Everyone Brave Is Forgiven" by Chris Cleve (yes, I'm behind the times, due to heavy work on MR. ROCHESTER)
ON MY SUMMER LIST: "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" by Jennifer Ryan; "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown; "The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin; "Everyone Brave Is Forgiven" by Chris Cleve (yes, I'm behind the times, due to heavy work on MR. ROCHESTER)
Sarah Shoemaker
My book group was discussing JANE EYRE, and, not surprisingly, the discussion came around to Mr. Rochester, that seemingly difficult---sometimes fearsome, sometimes tender---man with whom Jane falls in love. What's with him, we wondered; and what does Jane see in him that so many of us don't?
I commented at the time that I thought someone ought to write Rochester's story, so that readers could understand him better. On the way home that day, I challenged myself to write Rochester's story.
It was only recently that I came across this telling quotation from Toni Morrison: "If there is a book you really want to read, but no one has written it yet, you must write it."
I commented at the time that I thought someone ought to write Rochester's story, so that readers could understand him better. On the way home that day, I challenged myself to write Rochester's story.
It was only recently that I came across this telling quotation from Toni Morrison: "If there is a book you really want to read, but no one has written it yet, you must write it."
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