Lisa Brackmann asked Bryn Greenwood:

I thought all the hoarding scenes in THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE were incredibly powerful -- especially the one toward the end (I don't want to describe it too much for fear of posting a spoiler). Where did you get the inspiration for this? I'm also wondering how dealing with the hoarding in her family affected Zee and some of the life choices she made. Thanks so much!

Bryn Greenwood Sadly, most of the inspiration for Zee's mother and her hoarding comes from my own experiences. Like a variety of other mental health issues, hoarding seems to be a bit hereditary, and I come from a long line of hoarders. I've watched various relatives of mine fill their lives and their houses with stuff. I've witnessed the way it takes over and the way it creates barriers between people. I work really hard to not follow in the footsteps of my mother, aunts, and grandmother. So many hoarders start down that road because of trauma, like Dottie's, where the loss of her husband made her turn to "collecting." Zee ends up homeless and reliant on friends and even strangers as a result of her mother's hoarding. She leaves home as a teenager, because the stuff has taken over her bedroom. No surprise, that has a profound effect on how she views her place in the world and how she values herself. Being pushed out her childhood home by stuff has made her feel worthless and she tends to let that drive her life choices.

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