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Books | AMERICA


I really enjoyed the adaptation of The Tenth Circle — the acting was top notch, and the director, Peter Markle, was intent on making sure that when you watch it, you are left with the same feeling you have when you read the book. Ultimately, it works beautifully as a cautionary tale about teen sexuality. Right now, Salem Falls is being developed for Lifetime as well.


How come 19 Minutes isn’t a movie?


I don’t know. Of all my books, that’s the one that I think would be the best big screen movie and that would most deeply impact teen culture in a positive way. But so far, the studios that have looked at it are too scared to show a school shooting on screen – although psychiatrists have shown that rather than inspire copycat violence, that sort of story might actually create discussion about bullying, and ultimately reduce it.


I missed the movies on Lifetime. Can I buy them? They are available on iTunes.


Why did you let them change the ending of My Sister’s Keeper the movie?


I didn’t. It’s hard for people to believe, but when Hollywood adapts a movie to the screen, the author is pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole. You sell the rights, and it’s like giving a baby up for adoption — you aren’t allowed to call daily and ask what she’s been fed for breakfast. Of course, you hope that the family you’re trusting with your baby is a good one, and that she’ll turn out well in the long run, but there are no guarantees.


There was a lot of wonderful stuff in the movie version — most notably the performances, which I really enjoyed and by which I was really moved. There were some scenes added that weren’t in the book that I loved (the beach scene, for example). But the ending IS different. Although the director had indicated that he was going to keep my ending, in the end he did not hold true to his word. And if you think you were disappointed, well, you can imagine how I felt.


However, the movie was a success for me, because it drove hundreds of thousands of new readers to my book — which hit the bestseller list again. Should you watch the movie? Sure! It’s still sad and sweet and beautifully acted. But that’s the beauty of a novel-to- film adaptation: If the screen version isn’t what you remember, you can always go back and reread it!


Who are your favorite authors?


Alice Hoffman, Jo-Ann Mapson, Alice Hoffman, Anita Shreve, Ann Hood, Amy Tan, Diana Gabaldon, Alice Hoffman, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Emma Donoghue, Alice Hoffman, Jennifer Weiner, Susan Isaacs, Dan Chaon, Aimee Bender, Elinor Lipman, Chris Bohjalian, Ann Tyler, and Jane Hamilton. Oh, and did I mention Alice Hoffman?


What is the best book you’ve read lately?


Aimee Bender’s The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Emma Donoghue’s Room, Caroline Leavitt’s Pictures of You.


So, do you write mysteries or women’s fiction or legal thrillers or what?


Hang on while I get on my soapbox. I hate being pigeonholed. I have always been called a women’s author, but 49% of my fan mail comes from male fans. I think you can legitimately label my novels as legal thrillers, mysteries, romances, or plain old fiction. I think you can consider my books literary, because they make you think, or commercial, because they are a compelling read.


Marketing departments like to label authors with just one tag, so that they know how to promote a book, but I think the best books straddle genres and attract a variety of readers. I’d like to think this is one reason my books appeal to people — because I give them something different every time.


Do you draw upon your own experiences with family and friends as you create characters and plots?


Let’s just say I am the world’s worst friend. Tell me something and it’s likely to end up in a character’s mouth. A disagreement I had with my husband became a pivotal scene in The Pact. For Perfect Match, I’d go to breakfast in the morning, take notes on what my kids said, and then go upstairs and transform their voices into the character of Nathaniel. I usually draw a plot out of thin air, but pepper the book with real-life conversations I have had in different contexts. My friends tell me that it’s really strange to be reading one of my books and to find one’s life sprawled across the page.


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