One True Theory of Love (39 page)

Meg has so much at stake. First, her self-concept. She doesn’t want to let herself down. At the same time, she’s a fiercely protective single mom who has created for her son, Henry, what is in many ways an admirably safe and happy world. She’s well aware that he will one day judge her by the choices she makes regarding Ahmed, and she wants to be sure she’s making the right choices for the right reasons.

Since pretty much everyone in the story is in the midst of seizing or denying or needing a second chance, how they all go about it enables Meg to use them as a barometer for how she should face her own second chance.

 

 

A. As do most of us, Meg wants to avoid making the same mistakes in her future that she made in her past. She was sucker punched by her first husband’s betrayal, which was particularly difficult for her because she’d let her entire self-image be defined by who she was in relation to him rather than who she was as a person in her own right. When we meet her, she’s happy, healthy, and strong—but it’s been ten years since her marriage fell apart and she still doesn’t have a sense of her role in that failure. If she can’t figure that out, how can she know she won’t screw it up again?

 

 

Q. Your first novel,
Veil of Roses
, also featured a character with an Iranian background, the protagonist, Tamila. Surely that’s not a coincidence?

 

 

A. In its earliest version,
One True Theory of Love
was actually an international-espionage thriller, in which Ahmed (now the main character’s love interest) was drawn into a U.S.-Iran conflict against his will.

It was quite a departure from
Veil of Roses
in every regard, and ultimately it became clear—again, as I met with readers—that what they appreciated most about
Veil of Roses
was that it was a quick, lighthearted read that also had some emotional heft to it. It went down easy but wasn’t frivolous. To make my next book similar, I decided to change it radically.

The story’s gone through more drafts than I care to remember, and pretty much all that’s stayed from that first one is Ahmed, a basically good guy who happened to have been born in Iran. I’m pretty sure I’ve written my last Iranian character . . . unless this turns out to be a prequel to my international-espionage thriller!

I should also mention that my husband is Iranian-American, which I’m sure played a part in my choosing to write about Iranians.

 

Q.
One True Theory of Love
is your second novel. Did you suffer from the dreaded “sophomore slump”?

 

A. I didn’t experience “sophomore slump”—thankfully. I love the story and characters, so every day spent writing it was both a pleasure and a challenge. I wasn’t always sure of the ending, but I knew it would be a satisfying one, and that helped me write through the parts where the characters suffered. Storytelling really is both an art and a craft, and when I ran into problems, I referred back to my knowledge of the craft and usually found what I needed there.

The hardest part about writing this book was telling the story in a simple manner while honoring the complexity of the characters.

 

 

A. Time will tell what my next book will be. I’m very intrigued by mother-daughter stories and the changing nature of such relationships, especially in moments of challenge, so that will likely be a part of my future writing. Also, I think I’ll always be interested in stories of reinvention—women whose lives change radically (whether they’d prefer it or not).

Besides writing more women’s fiction, I plan to spend the next few years writing books for teenage girls (YA fiction) and some middle-grade fiction. Middle-grade fiction interests me because no one loves a good story more than a child. I’m very impressed with the quality of some of the writing for this age group and want to contribute to it. A good story is such a gift to give a child.

In my YA fiction, I’ll be exploring the same sort of questions I do in my adult fiction: how do you define happiness, and what are you willing to do in order to live a happy and fulfilling life? In the moments that really matter, how do you act courageously, in a way that honors who you want to become? It can be quite difficult being a teenager today, and I think good fiction provides not only solace and support, but also an escape from the pressures found in the real world.

 

 

 

 

A. I appreciate any writer who keeps me turning the pages, and if I can find one who makes me feel something—who makes me laugh or gets me choked up or just gets me in the gut—they go on my must-buy list. Jonathan Tropper’s writing is laugh-out-loud funny and I particularly appreciate how he very deftly turns a humorous moment into a heart-felt one. Elizabeth Berg is a writer I go to when I want to feel good about the world and when I need to be reminded of the power of kindness. Her stories have a ton of heart. Both Tropper and Berg have given me many hours of pleasure in the last few years.

Other fiction writers whose work I admire include Kent Haruf, Richard Russo, and Dennis McFarland. For nonfiction, I enjoy Tracy Kidder and Frank McCourt. Bill Carter’s
Fools Rush In
is the book I’d grab in a fire if I could save only one.

 

 

A. I’m in a book club with about twelve of the coolest women I know, and our meetings keep getting rowdier and more provocative as the years go on. Some book clubs are quite focused on analyzing the books they read, but we’re much more interested in the drinking and eating that goes along with our book discussions. The books we read often spark topics of conversation, but as much as anything are just an excuse for us all to get together once a month. A recent book that generated a good discussion is
The Female Brain
by Louann Brizendine. We also found much to discuss in Jon Krakauer’s
Under the Banner of Heaven.

I’m also in a mother-daughter book club with my ten-year-old daughter, and I treasure how books bring us together and provide us with ways to discuss the increasing complexities of her life.

 

Q. What do you hope readers will take away from
One True Theory of Love?

 

A. I simply hope readers close the book feeling their time has been well spent, in whatever way they define that. If they are looking for a fun read, I hope they find it. If they are looking for comfort or an escape from the real world or for a book that makes them think—I hope they find it.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What’s your reaction to the novel? Did you enjoy it? Were you emotionally engaged? What aspects did you like best and which least?

2. Do you agree with the first line of the novel: “It’s easy to look at men and think they’re idiots”?

3. What do you think are Meg’s greatest strengths as a character? What are her weaknesses?

4. Jonathan blindsided Meg by leaving their marriage when she’d learned she was pregnant. Was he just a louse, or are there hints about Meg’s own failures in the marriage? When he reenters Meg’s life, has he changed?

5. The author explores the impact of an old relationship on a newly developing one. Draw from your own experience to discuss some other ways in which new relationships are shaped and constrained, and made better or worse, by previous relationships.

6. Meg learns that her father, whom she relies on for advice and guidance, has been misrepresenting himself with a major lie. Compare Meg’s view of her father versus the reality, and discuss possible reasons for his behavior. Have you known men (or women!) who have behaved similarly?

7. Meg prides herself on her close relationship with her son, Henry. Do you think she’s a good mother? Is there anything about her parenting that you would either emulate or do differently?

8. Meg’s mother, Clarabelle, is making changes in her life now that her marriage is over. What do you think of those changes? What kind of mother do you think she was to Meg and Amy? What kind of wife was she to Phillip?

9. Do you agree that Ahmed is a pretty terrific guy? How do you see his and Meg’s relationship evolving after the book ends?

10. Do you have a theory of life similar to Meg’s Hokey-Pokey Theory of Life? Has it served you well?