Susan
asked
Kim van Alkemade:
Why did you construct Rachel as a gay woman? Some people in my book club were curious as to why you constructed Rachel as a gay women. Some thought it was because it was just another way to make her different and isolated, others thought it was a historical comment on gay rights.
Kim van Alkemade
Hi Susan, it did turn out that Rachel being a lesbian isolated her and intensified the plot by forcing her to confront Dr Solomon on her own, but that was a surprise to me as I was writing! My project with historical fiction is to place gay and lesbian characters in a historical context as characters in a story that goes beyond their sexuality. Plus, with over a thousand kids in the orphanage, some of them were bound to be gay or lesbian, so I just imagined Rachel was one of them!
More Answered Questions
Margot Bennett
asked
Kim van Alkemade:
This was just an amazing book to read. Thank you for your research into this party of history. The book was so incredibly well written, one of the few books I can say I could not put down. Thank you for your insight and I look forward to any more books you may write. Ha, see I have to end this with a question? Any more books planned on historical fiction?
Marty Siegel
asked
Kim van Alkemade:
Kim, I just learned about your book, Orphan Number 8. Do you have any further interest in learning more about the Hebrew Orphan Assylum? My father, Harry and his brother Seymour both grew up there, and are still living. Harry is 91 and living in Minnesota; Seymour is 96 (still playing racquetball once a week) and living in Marlton, NJ. My father, Harry, just signed up to get his copy of your book.
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