Stephanie Booth Interview, plus links to author biography, book summaries, excerpts and reviews

An interview with Stephanie Booth

A Conversation with Stephanie Booth about Libby Lost and Found

Libby has such a devotion to her characters in this book. Do you see your characters in the same way?

Yes! They feel very real to me, so it was incredibly hard to watch them struggle. Looking back, that's probably one reason why I began writing this from different perspectives. Peanut has energy and optimism when Libby feels depleted. And Libby finds inner strength when Peanut has sunk into her own Depths of Despair.

Considering the main trouble of the book is that Libby can't figure out how to end her series, do you find writing endings difficult?

My issue (so far) hasn't been how to write an ending but the emotional toll that endings take on me. I'm saying goodbye not only to characters I love but a world that I've been living in for the majority of my waking hours. I think I cycle through all the stages of grief.

There are many difficult themes in this book: death, suicide, grief, and soon. Was it difficult to write about such heavy topics? Why is it important to write these topics into stories?

Writing about heavy topics is difficult, but I really believe that reading about them can help us all feel less alone. As a journalist, I've spoken to so many people who are going through tremendous challenges. Time and time again, they've shown me how it's possible to experience tough things and difficult emotions without getting dragged under by them. And what a gift it is to be reassured of that. But I also wanted Libby and Peanut to live in a benevolent universe, where Everything Will Be Okay, even if it's not a neatly wrapped-up "okay." And knowing that helped me too.

What do you want readers to take away from this book?

That the parts of ourselves we perceive as weaknesses, those secrets that we're most ashamed of, are really our biggest strengths. That just because you're going through something difficult doesn't mean you have to go through it alone. And that imagination can sustain us in the most lovely, unexpected ways. Also, dogs really do make everything better.

What are some of your favorite books?

This is a really hard question! I tried to whittle it down to just a few titles and quickly gave up. I love so many books for vastly different reasons: because I adored them as a kid or read them over and over to my own kids. Maybe because I saw myself in the characters or wished I could live in their world. There are also books I adore because years later, I still can't wrap my head around the amount of research or craftsmanship or candor that went into creating them. But I think it is fair to say that all my favorite books share one quality: the power to transport me out of the real world, even for a short while. And when I return to it, I've changed for the better, even in infinitesimal ways.

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.