by Bonnie Grove
We grin at her, arms around each other. To Jack I say, “Let’s play some Uno.”
He looks deep into my eyes. “I. Love. Uno.”
I laugh as we step inside and close the door.
… a little more …
When a delightful concert comes to an end,
the orchestra might offer an encore.
When a fine meal comes to an end,
it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.
When a great story comes to an end,
we think you may want to linger.
And so, we offer ...
AfterWords—just a little something more after you
have finished a David C. Cook novel.
We invite you to stay awhile in the story.
Thanks for reading!
Turn the page for ...
• An Interview with Bonnie Grove
• Group Discussion Topics
An AfterWords (AW) Interview
with Bonnie Grove
In a charming outdoor bistro in Italy, a smiling woman sighs over the perfect espresso and gazes out toward the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, this isn’t Bonnie Grove, who has never visited Italy nor laid eyes on the Mediterranean. In order to chat with Bonnie we must zip our down-filled parkas to the chin and trudge headlong into the northern winds to Canada. We find her huddled near the fireplace inside a Starbucks gulping a mochaccino and waving a pen high above her head. “Anyone have a rhyme for ‘igloo’?” she hollers into the crowd. She tosses the pen down. “Yeah, me neither. This is why I don’t write poetry.”
AfterWords Interviewer: So you’re no Sylvia Plath wannabe. We can live with that. Tell us, why do you write?
Bonnie Grove: Oh man. I KNEW you’d ask that. I keep thinking I need to come up with a really good answer for that question. It’s on my to-do list.
AW: Uh … so you don’t know why you write?
BG: Oh sure I do. I just don’t know the exact words to explain it. It’s complicated. I didn’t start out to be a writer. I meant to be a psychologist. That’s the road I was on when I started writing. What drew me to psychology were the stories behind the human experiences. And what drew me to writing is the human experiences inside the stories. So, I don’t know if I’m a successful writer or a failed psychologist.
AW: That’s tough. No wonder you write about mental breakdowns.
BG: Tell me about it.
AW: Still, your background in psychology must have come in handy while writing Talking to the Dead.
BG: Yes. I have a great deal of respect for the field. I’ve been privileged to sit with individuals, couples, and families while they try to put their lives into words; try to voice their experiences. In those sacred moments, I have felt God’s presence so near, so immediate it literally caused me to fall silent. And it’s that story—the story of God present in our immediate turmoil that I wanted to tell.
AW: That’s why the tagline on your Web site is “Life is messy, God is love”?
BG: Exactly. Hey, if you order the pumpkin muffin, I’ll share it with you.
AW: Uh, okay. Thanks, I guess.
BG: Anyway, yes. My life is messy (picks several pumpkin muffin crumbs off her shirt). I bet you’ve had moments of mess in your life too.
AW: Sure. We all have.
BG: Yep, we all have. I’ve left behind the notion that life should be something else, something, I don’t know … perfect? Or neat, or whatever it is. I’ve given myself full permission to shift through the truth of my life. I tromp around in it, knowing God is there beside me.
AW: So, is Talking to the Dead a work of fiction, or is it a fictionalized autobiography?
BG: It’s trickier to talk about than it seems. Kate’s story is a work of fiction. I haven’t lived through any of the actual circumstances Kate went through. So the short answer is: Kate is not me, and this is not my story. But, on another level, we have all lived her experiences. We’ve all lived through loss, grief, shame. It’s the journey toward making sense of our lives, making sense of the bad. Is there such a thing as an emotional autobiography? If so, I guess that’s what I’ve written. Including the good parts, like forgiveness and love.
AW: Let’s talk about love. The romantic scenes in this novel are deeply affecting, without resorting to clichés or sentimentality. What’s your secret for handling the romance element in your novels?
BG: Love is lived out in the everyday. Sweaty palms and thrumming hearts can only get you so far and while they are fun, they aren’t the hallmarks of mature love. It’s important, when talking about love, to get beyond the gooseflesh rush of passion and talk about long-haul love. Kate and Kevin’s dysfunctional love had moments of brilliance. It had to, or why would he hold such sway over Kate? And Jack’s love, well, that’s love of a different kind, isn’t it? Steady, honest, transparent. He is in my mind a model of a man of integrity in love. When God is the center and source of your love, it can’t help but transcend cliché and sentimentality.
AW: Where did the character of Kate Davis come from?
BG: Like most of this book, she came in bits and pieces at first. I began with attributes I wanted to explore through story. Her feistiness, her confusion, and her strong sense of irony were the first three characteristics I knew she had going for her. In time, thank God, she moved out of that two-dimensional world and became a three-dimensional character. Her feistiness morphed and developed into emotional intelligence, survival, and, ultimately, hope. Her sense of irony brought moments of light and relief, and then, again led to hope. It was her confusion that was most fun to work with. She keeps having conversations she doesn’t mean to have. She goes into something thinking she knows what she wants to say and what needs to be discussed, but somewhere in the course of the conversation she loses track of things and is left wondering, What just happened? It was in writing the scenes involving Kate’s confusion that she came fully alive.
AW: Alive? I’ve heard authors say sometimes their characters talk to them. Did that happen to you?
BG: Yes. It’s a bit strange, but I’ve come to understand it as two parts of my brain talking to each other—a way to resolve dissidence using picture and sound. But it’s fun. Kate was the character who spoke to me most often. But Kevin and I had some difficulties too. Dead people aren’t especially chatty—so getting into his head and writing him as a fully alive person took effort. I was struggling with a scene and I demanded, “Say something, Kevin!” and he said, “I’m too good for this scene. Write a better one.” That’s when I truly understood him. And yes, I wrote him a better scene. It was the only way to get him to talk.
AW: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
BG: A great reading experience—that may sound like “a given,” but it was important to me to try to write a book people would want to read—enjoy on several levels, so that is a huge hope. On top of that, I hope the reader will let her imagination drift, allow herself to ask questions of herself, her life, and in doing so discover just how immediately close God is to her in that moment. That is where clarity comes from.
AW: In her endorsement, Francine Rivers says, “It takes a gifted and intuitive writer like Bonnie to bring humor into the middle of such a serious story. She made me laugh in several of her scenes with ‘counselors’ and their philosophies.” How did you manage to bring humor into the story?
BG: First off, let me say I’m honored that Francine Rivers enjoyed the book. I am a massive fan of hers and it is more than an honor that she read the book and offered such a generous endorsement. But, to answer your question about humor: Did you know there is an entire field of psychology that looks at humor? How it works, what it does for us, why we use it?
AW: Get out!
BG: True. Fascinating stuff. Two keys to the use of humor: type and timing. You mu
st use the appropriate type of humor that fits with the situation. And your timing must be bang-on. You can’t fudge timing. In this novel, I used humor to take the pressure off the reader, to help her take a deep breath and relax before plunging in further. (Stuffs more muffin in her mouth.) And that’s all I have to say about that.
AW: How do you write a novel?
BG: (between bites of pumpkin muffin) How do I write a novel? I don’t think I’ve written enough novels to answer that question. I know how I wrote Talking to the Dead, but I’m at work on a new novel and the process is completely different. Maybe that’s the answer—it’s different every time. Or, maybe after a few more, I’ll have some concrete notion of how I write a novel. Truthfully, I hope it’s the former.
AW: Did you say new book? What can you tell us about it?
BG: At the moment it is untitled but I fondly refer to it as Gabby Wells: The Musical.
AW: It’s a musical?
BG: Ah, no. But it’s all the fun drama of a musical, without the singing, or dancing. Or music. It’s the story of a women who finds Jesus, begins reading the “red words” (words of Jesus) in the Bible, and then is framed for murder.
AW: Oh my! That sounds—hey, you ate the entire muffin!
BG: Oh. I did, too … Sorry about that. If we get another one, I’ll for sure share that one with you.
Group Discussion Topics
Here are some themes to consider:
1. Friendship. Maggie thrust hers onto Kate, Heather forged an inappropriate one. Kate offers her friendship to Sekeena. Examine the role friendship played in Kate’s unfolding drama.
2. Loss. Loss comes in many forms in Kate’s story. There are the obvious losses brought by death, but there are many more. Examine the levels of loss Kate experienced.
3. Mental health. Kate’s grief and guilt expressed itself in many different ways. Examine the evidence that suggests Kate was mentally ill, and the evidence that suggests she was mentally healthy.
4. Love. Kate’s understanding of love changes throughout the book. Love is expressed and rebuffed and rejoiced in at different times. Examine the different kinds of love in the book.
5. Humor. Even in the throes of her sorrow and grief, Kate experienced moments of quirkiness, of lightness, and even humor. How was this accomplished in the book?
6. Therapy. Kate underwent several types of therapy. How did each help her? In what ways did they fail to help her?
7. Faith. Kate wrestles with God. Jack’s faith inspires her, and The Reverend’s faith frightens her. Explore Kate’s journey toward faith—its small but important beginnings, to the end of the book. What do you think about Kate’s faith experience?
Acknowledgments
Books are collaborative efforts. Forget the notion of the cloistered writer alone with her thoughts, the romantic myth of isolated keyboard clacking in a mountain cabin. Oh, certainly there is the writing, the idea that belongs wholly to the author (as much as any idea can belong to anyone)—but that alone creates only a manuscript. It takes much more to make a book. Here are the people it took to make this one.
My gratitude to the extraordinary team at David C. Cook—Dave Grove, for his enthusiastic love for his job. Deb Templemeyer, who took the time to care about what happened to the manuscript. Susan Tjaden, who has been a champion of this book from the beginning, and a joy to know and work with. You’ve brought joy to the journey. My thanks and admiration to Don Pape: You are the guy an author dreams of having in her corner, a man of integrity. I don’t know where I’d be without Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency. Wendy, you are a standout in this industry, a champion. And what would this book be without editor Nicci Jordan Hubert? Wrestler of words, grappler of paragraphs, grasper of concepts—it’s my great pleasure to know and work with you. It is obvious you do what you do for one simple reason: love. For readers, for authors, for art.
I owe so much to Isabelle Vouve, my dear friend who faithfully read every word and offered so much more than her “eagle eyes,” but gave her heart. I love you, Belle. And thanks to Debi Knutson, the friend who walked with me in the valley, and walks with me still. Much love. I’m grateful for the prayers of the people in our church home—they helped more than can be expressed.
Thanks to my family, my mom and dad who have rejoiced with each giddy step, prayed every day, and have turned into first-class booksellers. Great smooches and hugs to my children Benjamin and Heather, too young to understand what all the fuss was about. They are my heart. And my thanks to Steve, my favorite person. You’re the one who made all of it possible. Forever and a day.
TALKING TO THE DEAD
Published by David C Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
David C Cook Distribution Canada
55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5
David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England
The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.
All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s
imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.
LCCN 2009924471
ISBN 978-1-4347-6641-0
eISBN 978-1-4347-0034-6
© 2009 Bonnie Grove
Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency
52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170
Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370
www.booksandsuch.biz
The Team: Susan Tjaden, Nicci Hubert, Jaci Schneider, and Evelin Roncketti
Cover/Interior Design: Amy Kiechlin
Cover Photo: Getty Images, Stone Collection, Felipe Dupouy
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition 2009
What people are saying about …
Talking to the Dead
“It isn’t often that I get so hooked on the characters and story that I forget time and purpose. Talking to the Dead caught hold of my heart from page one. It takes a gifted and intuitive writer like Bonnie to bring humor into the middle of such a serious story. Call her the Jodi Picoult of Christian fiction! Beautifully done! I can’t wait to read the next story she writes.”
Francine Rivers, best-selling author of Redeeming Love
“Grove’s fiction debut is amazing. The stellar plot, exquisite character interaction and outstanding spiritual truths are alternately gut-wrenching and faith-building.”
Melissa Parcel, Romantic Times Book Reviews
“Rarely have I read a book that so completely captivated me. After reading the opening line on page one, I stayed up half the night to finish it. Bonnie Grove earns the title of master storyteller in Talking to the Dead. The tale of one woman’s journey through grief, mental illness, and betrayal is uplifting and filled with hope. The description that fits best is hauntingly beautiful.”
Ane Mulligan, editor, Novel Journey, and Afictionado columnist
“In Talking to the Dead, Bonnie Grove takes readers on a vivid journey through the memories of a woman grieving for her late husband. We’re drawn into Kate’s life, gripped by the slowly unfolding drama that unravels her sometimes-painful past and, more importantly, reveals the key to her future. A captivating, powerful story. I h
ighly recommend it.
Virginia Smith, author of Age before Beauty and the Sister-to-Sister series
“Talking to the Dead will break your heart and put it back together, better than new. God bless Bonnie Grove for this riveting, insightful, unforgettable story! I couldn’t put it down.”
Kathleen Popa, author of To Dance in the Desert and The Feast of Saint Bertie
“Bonnie Grove’s amazing novel takes the reader on a unique and compelling journey into loss and restoration; a blend of The Pilot’s Wife and Girl, Interrupted. Well done.”
Sharon K. Souza, author of Lying on Sunday
“Talking to the Dead is a deeply moving narrative about grief, sanity, love, betrayal, and hard-won redemption. Bonnie Grove entices, tortures, then salves her readers through gritty characters and pitch-perfect writing. I thought about this book long after I put it down, and it stays with me today. Highly recommended.”
Mary E. DeMuth, author of Watching the Tree Limbs and Daisy Chain
“Talking to the Dead is a shirk-your-duties kind of book. You’ll read it to the neglect of laundry and cooking and bring it with you to read in the car at stoplights. With a story that unfolds in the most surprising ways and a protagonist so true-to-life you feel like you should be praying for her, Talking to the Dead delves deep into the recesses of grief, anger, and most importantly, redemption. Bonnie Grove has set the bar high with this one. I can’t wait to read her next book.”
Alison Strobel, author of Violette Between and Worlds Collide
“With tightly woven prose that is achingly real and skillfully rendered, Bonnie Grove has crafted a deeply moving story of grief, betrayal, and redemption. Grove’s engaging, authentic style is resonant, and her words linger long after you’ve set the book down.”
Susan Meissner, author of The Shape of Mercy
“In Talking to the Dead, Bonnie Grove masterfully takes you on an authentic journey through grief and recovery with a twist, and leaves you wishing for more.”
