Jodell
asked
Bryn Greenwood:
Why did you choose a certain age frame for certain incidents to happen, instead of wating a few more year's? Is their a reason?
Bryn Greenwood
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[I'm guessing, though you don't say it outright, that this is a question about the fact that Wavy and Kellen's relationship becomes romantic when she is still a child and then sexual when she is barely a teenager. If that's what we're talking about, I feel like this question has answers on multiple levels, so I'll tackle the two angles that I think are most obvious.
Internal story logic: When Wavy reaches puberty at age 13, she has already absorbed a lot of lessons from the adult women around her, but foremost she has learned that keeping a man is linked to her attractiveness and her sexual availability. (Consider Liam's relationship with the women in his life--the ones he treats best are those who are most attractive and sexually available to him.) At puberty, Wavy is not only increasingly aware of her sexuality and her changing body, she is aware that Kellen is a grown man. Although she knows that he loves her non-sexually, she can't help but be concerned that she could lose him to a girl with a snake tattoo, or the woman who left perfume on his coat collar. She can't risk losing Kellen, so she feels the need to establish that she is a viable sexual partner.
Storytelling mechanics: Very many people--agents and editors--suggested that the book would be an easier sell if Wavy were "just a few years older." This might have been true, but in Kansas, the age of consent is 16, so making Wavy even two years older would completely change the narrative arc of the story. Imagine Aunt Brenda walking in on a 16-year-old Wavy and Kellen in the garage office. Awkward, but not illegal. Upon learning what has happened up at the farmhouse, Kellen and Wavy marry. Get custody of Donal. The murderer is caught. They all live happily ever after. Very different book.
(hide spoiler)]
Internal story logic: When Wavy reaches puberty at age 13, she has already absorbed a lot of lessons from the adult women around her, but foremost she has learned that keeping a man is linked to her attractiveness and her sexual availability. (Consider Liam's relationship with the women in his life--the ones he treats best are those who are most attractive and sexually available to him.) At puberty, Wavy is not only increasingly aware of her sexuality and her changing body, she is aware that Kellen is a grown man. Although she knows that he loves her non-sexually, she can't help but be concerned that she could lose him to a girl with a snake tattoo, or the woman who left perfume on his coat collar. She can't risk losing Kellen, so she feels the need to establish that she is a viable sexual partner.
Storytelling mechanics: Very many people--agents and editors--suggested that the book would be an easier sell if Wavy were "just a few years older." This might have been true, but in Kansas, the age of consent is 16, so making Wavy even two years older would completely change the narrative arc of the story. Imagine Aunt Brenda walking in on a 16-year-old Wavy and Kellen in the garage office. Awkward, but not illegal. Upon learning what has happened up at the farmhouse, Kellen and Wavy marry. Get custody of Donal. The murderer is caught. They all live happily ever after. Very different book.
(hide spoiler)]
More Answered Questions
Nena Gluchacki
asked
Bryn Greenwood:
Hi Bryn! I read AtUaWT two weeks ago and it's still stuck with me. Very few books do that, so first and foremost, thank you for writing such a wonderful book. I thought at times that Wavy, especially in her earlier years, came off as almost feral. Was that intended? Also, I'm intrigued by your mention of a relationship similar to Kellan and Wavy. Would you ever write even just a blog post about your relationship?
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!
Nick Bishop-Woods
asked
Bryn Greenwood:
My book club is reading THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE and we have a question for our discussion and we would love to hear from you: How do you write characters that are so flawed (or unlikable), yet you still wish things turn out well for them? Throughout THE RECKLESS OATH WE MADE we found ourselves frustrated with the characters yet still empathizing with them. Thank you!!
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