Goodreads asked Dave Riese:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Dave Riese It has been said that the writer doesn’t choose his story; instead the story chooses him. For many years in the morning, I bought a cup of coffee and read a book in the café downstairs from my office. This quiet half- hour provided a welcome transition between the aggravation of commuting and the pressure and fast pace of work.

Over time I recognized other patrons who remained in the café rather than grabbing a coffee and rushing back to work. One day I met an elderly woman named Riva. I laugh because I ‘heard’ Riva before I met her. She has an irrepressible laugh and a voice that can fill an auditorium. One day she stopped at my table and asked what book I was reading. Over time, we discovered we shared the same taste in literature – novels by English and Irish writers.

In March 2012, I told the coffee group I was retiring at the end of April. “What do you plan to do?” Riva asked.

“I’m going to write. Short stories, maybe a novel.”

“I’ve got a story you can write up,” she said.

Over the next half hour, Riva talked about her engagement when she was 18 years old, living in Montreal over 60 years ago. The ending of her story shocked me and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I began writing in June, 2012. Riva was surprised when I brought in chapter after chapter for her to read. “I thought this was going to be a short story,” she said. Like the apprentice’s broomsticks, the chapters kept coming. When I gave her a complete manuscript to read 10 months later, she hefted the package. “This weighs more than a short story.”

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