When I started writing One September Morning there wasn’t a lot of information available about Pat Tillman—which was frustrating for me. I couldn’t get the facts—probably because the truth was still hidden at that point in time—but I was alarmed by witnesses’ accounts of his death in Afghanistan and moved by the shining purpose that drove the man. I tried to capture Tillman’s commitment to doing the right thing—that was a source of inspiration for me. Also, by making John Stanton a celebrity it helped raise the profile of the incidents within the novel, raising the stakes.
In the years since, more of the details of Pat Tillman’s death have been revealed, in large part thanks to the steadfast persistence of his mother Mary and his brother Kevin, who served in Afghanistan with Pat. Some of them correspond to the plot of my novel, others diverge. From everything I’ve read, I admire the diligence of the Tillman family, who pursued the truth despite many obstacles. A few readers have asked me why I didn’t contact the family and try to tell Pat Tillman’s story, which is rich and moving and heroic in its own right. The truth is, I’m a fiction writer, not really worthy or experienced enough to do his biography justice.
The villain of the novel is absolutely chilling. How did you come up with his character?
My husband expressed interest in a nonfiction book he was reading called The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, which I snagged as soon as he was finished. Although nonfiction is not usually my thing, I found this book riveting, well-documented, well-researched, and yet insightful and entertaining. As I tend to look for the best qualities in a person and I want to believe that humans are a benevolent race, Ms. Stout’s work helped me understand that there are people in the world who have a completely different moral compass—or none at all. She defines a sociopath as a person who does not feel guilt or remorse, a person who would kill to reap some personal benefits as long as he thinks he can get away with it. This profile of a sociopath stuck with me as I was fleshing out the villain of One September Morning.
After I read Ms. Stout’s book, I realized I had come dangerously close to a few sociopaths during my lifetime. Only a few, but even one is enough, don’t you think? It’s a very creepy thought.
How do you approach the process of writing a novel?
Since I was fired up with an overall idea for this book, certain scenes came to me right away—such as Abby opening her door to two soldiers who notify her that her husband has died in combat. Other scenes eluded me until I was doing rewrites.
As I was writing, I was very pleased with the way certain characters came alive, particularly the Stanton family. I enjoyed writing Madison’s defiant, youthful voice. Jim Stanton’s point of view and backstory grew richer with my research of the Vietnam War. And Noah Stanton’s story was a gift. There was the obvious juxtaposition to the lives of his father and brother, but beyond that Noah’s voice was strong in my ears. I had to work a little harder with Sharice, who’s a bit of a control freak, but by the end of the writing process I was feeling her pain, too.
When I first had an idea, I sent my editor a one-page story pitch or concept, which he thought was worth pursuing. Then I developed it into an outline, a rather detailed chapter by chapter description that ran over fifty pages. Once the outline was approved, I began the actual writing, which also involves some expansion.
For example, the outline included an otherworldly element that had John actually speaking to Abby in a ghostly voice, warning her about the man who was trying to hurt her. My editor advised me to take this out—sage advice—as he thought it gave away too much of the story and might be a little weird it its actual execution. On the other hand, in the outline Jim Stanton didn’t have much of a backstory or a voice, so as I was writing I explored his past and gave him some scenes of his own that tied into John’s story. Of course, the novel varies from the outline. In the end, the outline is a framework—a road map for what becomes an amazing adventure, but a road map, nonetheless, so that the publisher and the writer share a sense of where the book is going.
The book immerses us in the lives of military families. Were you an army brat as a kid?
My father served in the Signal Corps, but he was a civilian by the time I was born. When I was in fourth grade an army family moved on our block, and I quickly befriended the captain’s daughter Julie, who was a year older than I was. Their family of nine had just come from an assignment in Panama, and the neighborhood kids were mystified by such an exotic background. In the ensuing years Julie and I became best friends, and I fell into her family. I worried when her father was deployed to Vietnam. Her mom took us everywhere, so I was exposed to activities on the local army base.
Then, when I was in high school, my father took a position with the Department of Defense, working outside Stuttgart, Germany. Although our family lived in a small farming town, we were allowed certain military privileges at the military bases—the commissary and PX, the officer’s club and subsidized APO mail. My siblings and I attended the American schools on base. During the summers I worked in the base library and for the Red Cross, which had a presence on base to serve soldiers and assist in international communications. It was a rich experience, diminished only by the fact that I was a senior in high school, and an extremely introverted individual.
How has your research for One September Morning changed the way you view daily news stories?
First, I cannot allow myself the luxury of not reading about the developing situation in Iraq or walking away from the Today show when they’re doing a segment involving an American soldier or combat situations overseas. By nature, I have always been a news wimp, preferring to avoid stories that are disturbing or unpleasant, and I have had to overcome that secret desire to live in a bubble.
My research has also diminished any desire I might have had to be a journalist. I worry for any people venturing into war zones and unstable nations. I held my breath when Meredith Vieira traveled to China to cover the 2008 earthquake. Any longings I once had for international adventure are now lost to a latte and a good book by the fire!
Who are some of the authors you admire? What are some of your favorite reads?
I’m smiling because recently I was asked that question by someone I’d just met at a party and my first answer was that I love everything by Anna Quindlen. She turned to me, grabbed both my arms, jumping up and down and shouting, “Yes! Yes!” I was right with her; we spoke the same language, having lost and found ourselves in Ms. Quindlen’s fiction and nonfiction work. Rise and Shine, Blessing, Black and Blue, One True Thing— Anna Quindlen’s novels captivate me from beginning to end. My only complaint is that she doesn’t write enough.
Other writers that get me in trouble because I cannot put their books down are Lolly Winston, Lisa Jackson and Nora Roberts. I admire Jodie Picoult’s love of a controversial dynamic, and Alice Hoffman’s ability to portray the spiritual and otherworldly as organic facets of life. Their work entertains and pulls the reader into their stories through their characters. These writers really get inside a character’s skin. I’m in awe of their talents.
A READING GROUP GUIDE
ONE SEPTEMBER MORNING
Rosalind Noonan
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s reading of Rosalind Noonan’s One September Morning
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Copyright © 2009 by Rosalind Noonan
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 0-7582-3930-0
books on Archive.
One September Morning Page 41
