(Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)
*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to the blog which was called "Season #ONE". This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.
*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017. It was great to get back to Season #TWO. This season ran throughout the summer.
*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017/2018.
*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018. With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.
*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017. It was great to get back to Season #TWO. This season ran throughout the summer.
*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017/2018.
*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018. With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.
*This is the THIRTEENTH interview of what I'm calling Season #FIVE.
*Thank you to Rebecca Ansari for being the Eighty-Fourth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.
*Here are links to the first Eighty-Three interviews…
SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)
SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)
SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)
SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)
*Rebecca Ansari was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions. It is an honor to post her responses here on the blog.
*Thank you Rebecca for writing this incredible and thought-provoking book...
The Missing Piece of Carlie O'Reilly
by Rebecca Ansari (March 5, 2019)
How did you come to know Charlie?
Very, very slowly! The book took three years to write and for the
first two years I didn’t feel connected to Charlie at all. He was like this
vessel, surrounded by interesting people, to whom all these events were
happening. I even had one reader suggest Ana (Charlie’s best friend) should be
my main character, but I knew that wasn’t the answer. It wasn’t until I stopped
focusing on plot and dug much more
deeply into Charlie’s family that he
finally came alive. It’s a true joy to fall in love with your main character!
What do you think is Charlie's most admirable quality?
His steadfast dedication to those he loves. Charlie’s loyalty to both family and friends is both inspiring and heartbreaking along the way.
Is there anything you wish Charlie would have changed or done differently in his story?
No? Though Charlie makes some really regrettable choices, I think each of them is key to his journey. And honestly, after so many rewrites, I think my mind has blocked out the possibility that I might want to change anything at his point!
What do you think Charlie can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
My hope is that this book will help middle school readers understand that everyone makes mistakes. Even “small” ones can feel unsurmountable, but they are a part of life. You can get through mistakes, even if they aren’t “fixable.” There can be a new normal.
How did you research Charlie and the circumstances he found himself in?
What do you think is Charlie's most admirable quality?
His steadfast dedication to those he loves. Charlie’s loyalty to both family and friends is both inspiring and heartbreaking along the way.
Is there anything you wish Charlie would have changed or done differently in his story?
No? Though Charlie makes some really regrettable choices, I think each of them is key to his journey. And honestly, after so many rewrites, I think my mind has blocked out the possibility that I might want to change anything at his point!
What do you think Charlie can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
My hope is that this book will help middle school readers understand that everyone makes mistakes. Even “small” ones can feel unsurmountable, but they are a part of life. You can get through mistakes, even if they aren’t “fixable.” There can be a new normal.
How did you research Charlie and the circumstances he found himself in?
For the dream sequences, I did quite a bit of research on Irish
immigration in the 1860s, as well as the conditions of New York City and
orphanages at that time. For the more present-day aspect of the book, much of
my “research” was done simply observing my four sons (ages 10, 13, 13 and 16
now). I think adults tend to infantilize our middle school selves, dismissing
those years as immature or largely forgettable. Watching my sons and their
friends navigate and explore the complicated space between little kid and teen,
with all of its difficulty, intensity and change, has been a great reminder that
this age-group is whip-smart, complex and intensely curious. This time of life
is also HARD. I wanted to honor that.
Do you and Charlie share any similarities?
Do you and Charlie share any similarities?
Just like Charlie, once my mind is set, there is no letting
go!
Also, Charlie is a “fixer.” If he sees a problem, he is compelled
to try to make it better. I have the same tendency (as my previous career as an
ER doctor would attest), and Charlie and I have both had to learn that
sometimes people don’t appreciate our attempts to “fix” them.
What was the hardest scene to write about Charlie?
I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a scene where Charlie learns a big, painful truth that he’s been missing. It changes everything and breaks his heart in multiple ways. That was hard to do to him.
What was the hardest scene to write about Charlie?
I don’t want to give too much away, but there is a scene where Charlie learns a big, painful truth that he’s been missing. It changes everything and breaks his heart in multiple ways. That was hard to do to him.
Who do you think was Charlie's biggest supporter and why?
Easy question! Ana. Charlie’s best friend is truly his match when it comes to loyalty and devotion, even when she doesn’t understand what Charlie’s talking about. She puts her whole self – her whole family – at risk to help him.
Why do you think it is so difficult for humans to forgive not only others, but especially themselves?
No one wants to accept that sometimes bad things happen, right? Picking sides or casting blame comes much more easily. But blame is like aloe vera on a sunburn – it feels good, but it doesn’t actually heal anything. Healing takes time, and in the case of forgiveness, it takes understanding and a bit of humility. I think one can rationalize the mistakes of others with a bit of grace – with “they didn’t mean it,” or “it was an accident” – but we all know our own minds and hearts so fundamentally that there’s very little wiggle room for these second guesses. As Charlie finds out, however, self-forgiveness is an act that often brings the deepest healing of all.
What do you think Charlie is doing at the present time?
I think he’s at home, sitting in the living room doing some
homework – the buzz of normal family life going on around him – with a small,
knowing smile that never truly leaves his face anymore.
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