Pam Jenoff Interview, plus links to author biography, book summaries, excerpts and reviews

An interview with Pam Jenoff

Pam Jenoff discusses The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach set in New Jersey during World War II

What was the inspiration behind The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach ?

Some twenty years ago, I conceived of a story in which a girl who is an only child becomes close to a family with four sons—kind of a reverse Little Women. I began working on the manuscript but life and other projects intervened. A few years ago, when I returned to the story, I realized that it needed to be set against the backdrop of World War II and that the families should be from different religious and ethnic backgrounds. This provided not only fertile ground for the love story itself, but for exploring many of the cultural aspects of the era.

What kind of research did you do for this book? What are the challenges of writing historical novels?

One thing that was so fun about this book is that the research was more personal. My dad's side of the family is from Atlantic City and owned small hotels and restaurants there in the 1930s and 40s; I summered there as a girl and it is very much in my blood. It was so much fun to drive around the shore and visualize what it would have looked like. I also had a grand time in the archives of the Atlantic City Library, looking at old photos and postcards and news clippings to learn what life was like during the war. How, for example, did they black out the Boardwalk lights? Another setting of the book, South Philadelphia, is where my mom grew up and I loved having her proof the manuscript and serve as my expert.

One of the biggest challenges in writing historical fiction is how to remain true to the period while still bending it to the needs of the narrative. Figuring out how much historical detail to include is also complex. I am a historian by training (I received my master's degree in history from Cambridge) and I can get completely lost in the research. But you have to include it in a way that is intrinsic to the story. For this book, the particular challenge was to get the details of that exact moment of time right. For example, I could find lots of people able to tell me about Chelsea in the 1950s but not so much before then. And I was very nervous about getting the details rights!

Most of your novels are set in Europe. What made you decide to set The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach stateside? And why Atlantic City, New Jersey, of all places?

Most of my novels to date have been set during the Second World War. My inspiration derives largely from my years at the Pentagon and my time as a diplomat for the State Department in Europe spent working on Holocaust issues. I knew I wanted to turn to the home front and explore what happened there, how the war affected people's lives. One of the great ironies is that while I have written all my World War II historical while living in the States, I actually began the manuscript for The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach while living in Poland two decades ago. Even before I realized it would be set during the war, I always knew The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach was a story set in part by the sea. Addie's fear of the water and her relationship to the coast mirrors so much of what she faced emotionally, and the setting is so evocative for young love. I chose Atlantic City because the city was at the heart of the home front: they set up a massive training facility there nicknamed Camp Boardwalk, and there were soldiers by the thousands. The way everyday life there was changed was really a microcosm of the home front across America.

All of your novels take place during World War II. What is it about this period that appeals to you?

I was profoundly moved and changed by my years in Europe working on Holocaust issues, and I call my books love songs to the people and the era. It is an honor and a privilege to capture stories from this time and bring the period to life for both longtime readers of the period and those encountering it for the first time. Additionally, as a novelist my goal is to take the reader and put her in the shoes of my protagonist and have her ask, "What would I have done?" The war era, with its dire circumstances and stark choices, is ideal for doing just that.

Writing and promoting books is a full-time job, but you also have a family and young children. How do you find the time to write, and what are your tricks for achieving balance between your work and personal life?

It is true that, in addition to the writing, I have three small children and a job as a law school professor. I joke that I do too many things and none of them well. But more apt is a quote from Anne Lamott: "I used to not be able to write if there was a dish in the sink. Then I had a child, and now I can write if there's a corpse in the sink." You have to be really disciplined and make the time for writing. For example, I started a 100-day challenge on January 2 where I committed to write every single day for 100 days, and it went so well I am now on my second 100 days. I don't have a great secret for work-life balance . I love all the things I do—teaching, writing, kids— and doing them makes me a happier and more fulfilled person. So, just like everyone else, I juggle!

This interview is reproduced from the reading guide for The Last Summer at Chelsea Beach by permission of the publisher, MIRA Books. In addition to topics for discussion, an author interview and biography, the reading guide also includes delicious recipes for food and cocktails popular in the 1940s.

Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.