The Diary
by Eileen Goudge
List Price: $12.95
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781593155292
Publisher: Vanguard Press
Eileen Goudge is the New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Domestic Affairs, Woman in Red, One Last Dance, Garden of Lies and Thorns of Truth. There are more than five million copies of her books in print worldwide. She lives with her husband, entertainment reporter Sandy Kenyon, in New York City.
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Q: Anyone who has ever lost a parent --- especially a mother --- will feel a big tug on her heartstrings while reading The Diary. What inspired you to write this deeply emotional, yet uplifting tale?
A: My parents were happily married for more than fifty years, but as an adult I learned that my mom had had a lover before she married my dad. I was intrigued, but when I questioned her about it, she wouldn’t say much, except that he was an older man and that it had been “serious.” That led me to thinking: What was the story behind the story? Who was this other man and why didn’t she marry him instead? That was the seed for The Diary, in which Elizabeth is faced with a difficult choice of her own.
Q: When did you begin to think of your own mother objectively, as someone other than “the woman who baked the bread” and loved you through the ups and downs of your growing up years?
A: As a child growing up in my parents’ house, I saw only one side of my mom. It wasn’t until I was married, with a child of my own, that she began to reveal some of what was underneath the “Mom” persona. I only wish she had kept a diary, because then I would have known and understood so much more!
Q: Do you think that women who work outside the home have an easier time getting their children to regard them more objectively?
A: I wouldn’t know about that, having never worked outside the home. I do know a little about role modeling, though. When my daughter was in kindergarten, the teacher asked everyone in her class what their parents did for a living. My little girl piped, “My mommy is a typewriter!” Out of the mouths of babes!
Q: What do you wish your own child knew about you that hasn’t come to light thus far?
A: I’ve been pretty open with my children, but what I would want to impress on them the most is that parenting doesn’t come with a manual. We’re all raised by amateurs. And it’s a tough job. I made my share of mistakes. The biggest ones were in repeating my parents’ mistakes. I hope that cycle can be broken with the next generation.
Q: In The Diary, at times Elizabeth pays more attention to what her outspoken grandmother says than what her own mother tells her. Why do you think this is so, and do you think this is universal with women as they’re growing up?
A: It was easy for Elizabeth to identify with her grandmother, since she didn’t get along with her own mom. Also, she hadn’t been around Grandma Judith a lot growing up, so, for her, part of the fun was in getting to know her. I based the character of Grandma Judith on my mother’s mother, whom I didn’t even meet until I was fourteen. Needless to say, she and my mother weren’t close. But I had fun getting to know Grandma Woodruff in my adult years (though she definitely fit the description of a cranky old lady!). She had wonderful tales about the family. Also, she was a health food pioneer, and it was from her that I learned, via my mom, about healthy eating.
Q: Do you keep a diary or a journal? If so, why and what function does writing on the pages serve in your life?
A: I kept a diary as a teenager. I still have it, in fact. I think it’s a wonderful way to get in touch with one’s emotions, because often we don’t know what, exactly, we’re feeling until we have to put it into words.
Q: In The Diary, A.J. is the quintessential “bad boy” in the eyes of many in the town where he and Elizabeth grew up, but he turns out to be very heroic. What statement are you making to your readers with the character of A.J.?
A: With AJ, I wanted to illustrate that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. His bad reputation is largely based on hearsay and innuendo. Once Elizabeth gets to know him, we see through her eyes that he’s really a good guy.
Q: Was there an A.J. in your life? If so, would you be willing to tell us about him?
A: I think my husband was the role model for AJ. He is a wonderful man and friend to all, but there was a time in his life when he “walked on the wild side,” as he likes to put it. I’m reminded of this frequently whenever he hears from one of his ex-girlfriends (most of whom he’s remained friendly with). He is the one who is constantly preaching, “DON’T settle.” Sandy waited until he was almost 40 to get married (to me). And, as far as he’s concerned, it was worth the wait!
Q: In your novels you explore the complexities of women and what’s in their hearts and dreams. How did you decide to focus on this as your body of work, as opposed to, say, writing vampire novels?
A: The old axiom “write what you know” is perennially true. I write about families, love, and life because that is what I know. Also, it’s a mystery (as in the mystery of life) that never fails to fascinate me, just as, I imagine, ghosts and vampires do an author like Stephen King. What is most gratifying to me is when I hear from a reader who has found the answer or some insight into a family dilemma of their own in the pages of my books.
Learn more about Eileen Goudge --- and her novels --- by visiting www.eileengoudge.com and watch for www.betsdiary.com, where Eileen, and her publisher, Vanguard Press, share insight into this compelling novel, and the everything you need to make this Mom’s Day the most memorable ever... for your mother!
© Copyright 2009 by Eileen Goudge. Reprinted with permission by Vanguard Press. All rights reserved.
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