Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, May 13, 2019

An Inside Look #89 (Author INTERVIEW)


Inside Look with Lynda Mullaly Hunt
(Author of One for the Murphys)

*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.  


*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the Eighteenth interview of what I'm calling Season #FIVE.

*Thank you to Lynda Mullaly Hunt for being the Eighty-Ninth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  


*Here are links to the first Eighty-EIGHT interviews…


SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)












*Lynda Mullaly Hunt 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 Lynda for writing this incredible and thought-provoking book.



One for the Murphys

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (May 16, 2013)



 How did you come to know Carley?
I have always known Carley. In my younger days, I knew the self-protected, angry Carley who played with letters to keep calm. And later, I know the Carley who has learned that letting people in is a good gamble to take. Sure, you’ll be hurt sometimes but we can handle disappointments; they are way better than a life without connections.


What do you think is Carley's most admirable quality?
Carley is resilient.  Sometimes readers will ask me if her mother changes when they got back to Vegas. They are usually surprised when I tell them that Carley’s mom is exactly the same. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Carley is different. She’s learned enough from the Murphys to make a happy life for herself – regardless of the situation that she is in.


Is there anything you wish Carley would have changed or done differently in her story?
Ha! Well, I guess she could have lightened up a bit earlier.  No, Carley’s story is written as it should be, I think. Sometimes, I’ll feel sad about what she’s been through but then I remember…she doesn’t actually exist. Nor do the Murphys nor Toni. Which also makes me sad… (Writers. *eye roll* )


What do you think Carley can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?  
My hope in writing One for the Murphys was always that kids who met her would see that they can make any life for themselves as adults that they want. I think sometimes kids who are dealt difficult hands feel like they must stay in that life forever. That it’s their lot in life. But that isn’t so. And, although starting off with difficult things to endure is tough, slaying these challenges can often lead to very strong adults – if we look at these hurdles through the right lens.
How did you research Carley and the circumstances she found himself in?
Well, I did not have to research Carley’s emotional journey. I was a hard kid to reach. I had formidable walls. So, in terms of that, there wasn’t anything to do but sit with Lynda at 12 and 13 and 15…
The only part of the book I had to research was the piece with Mrs. MacAvoy, the social worker. I knew that it was unlikely that a foster child could be in a home for that long without visits from a social worker. Wearing my teacher and mom “hats,” this absence was a concern. But my author hat knew that introducing a social worker who would make regular visits would interfere with her bonding with Julie Murphy. To get around this concern, I could have made Mrs. MacAvoy adversarial, but I didn’t want to do that. 
So, I took a social worker in CT (where the book takes place) out to dinner (after he read the manuscript) and asked if the social worker’s absence was plausible. Not desired, necessarily. But was it plausible? He told me that every day presents social workers with unexpected challenges – fires to put out. And if he had to skip any home visit he’d skip the Murphy home because he would know that Carley would be okay there. So, yes. It was plausible.
Do you and Carley share any similarities?  
Well…I do love Converse. In terms of other stuff, I think I’ve covered it.
What was the hardest scene to write about Carley?
SPOILER: Definitely the last chapter. I was so sad afterward that I didn’t write for a few weeks. And when I went back to it, I wrote the opposite scene. The scene I wanted and the scene so many readers wanted. But it wasn’t authentic. It just didn’t ring true and being honest in storytelling is always my top priority.
Who do you think was Carley's biggest supporter and why?
Well, the story has several people who support Carley and her journey in learning to accept that support. If I had to choose, though, it would have to be Julie Murphy who shows Carley that she can claim any life for herself that she chooses. She also changes Carley’s perspective of herself. That is quite an achievement indeed. 
Why do you think some families are meant to be foster families and LOVE foster children just as much as their natural born children?
I think there are some people who have bigger hearts than most of us. Teachers, nurses, and foster parents all fall into this category.
What do you think Carley is doing as the present time? 
I think Carley is a young fifth grade teacher. She fiercely loves her students. And they love her. And later today, she will text Toni in New York and tell her a great story about a kid in her class. And Toni will respond, “Wow, Connors. Do those kids know actually what a sap you are?”


And Carley will smile.
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