Beside a Burning Sea
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Q. During your conversations with more than one thousand book clubs, what have been some of your more memorable moments?
A. The conversations were fantastic, of course. But even more so have been the letters and e-mails that I received afterward. These contained wonderful messages, as well as photos of the groups (oftentimes with members wearing saris and covered in henna paintings).
Q. What’s something that you learned about book clubs during your many visits with them?
A. I was quite surprised at the diversity of the book clubs I encountered. Not in terms of race or religion or political orientation, but in their approach to discussing Beneath a Marble Sky. For instance, some book clubs would take a rather studious approach, and come prepared with a variety of insightful questions. Other groups would be well into their third round of margaritas. I was never really sure what kind of group I’d be talking with.
Q. Why did you decide to write a novel set in World War II?
A. I’ve always been fascinated by World War II. And I’ve felt that in the West we’ve tended to focus on the war in Europe. Having lived in
Asia for several years, I’ve been intrigued by the intricacies of the war in that part of the world.
Q. Was it hard to go from writing about the Taj Mahal in Beneath a Marble Sky to World War II in Beside a Burning Sea?
A. I think that transitioning from one book to another is a difficult process. After spending such a long time writing Beneath a Marble Sky, I became quite connected to its characters. And having to create a batch of new characters for Beside a Burning Sea felt somewhat like learning a new language. The voices in both novels are fairly unique, I believe, and giving life to such voices was a time-consuming process.
Q. Your first novel took place in India, and your second novel occurred in the South Pacific. Why do you like to write novels set overseas?
A. I was lucky enough to grow up reading, and have consumed a couple of books a week for most of my life. I have always most enjoyed novels that took me to a new place, and that taught me something. Such novels prompted me to explore much of the world, in fact. And after visiting so many wonderful places, I decided that I wanted to share such locales with my readers.
Q. To that end, where will your next novel be set?
A. It will take place in modern-day Saigon, and will involve a variety of characters from different parts of the world. The story is quite close to my heart, and I’m excited to see it unfold.
Q. What did you most enjoy about writing Beside a Burning Sea?
A. The challenge of creating a setting—of fashioning a time and place of my own design—is immensely gratifying to me. I want my readers to feel as if they’ve visited the environs that I describe, and giving my novels the necessary richness to achieve that goal is a rewarding challenge. Of course, I also greatly enjoy the process of creating the overall story, and then of sitting down and actually bringing that story to life.
Q. For you, what is the hardest thing about writing?
A. I tend to edit my novels a lot, as I want them to be as good as possible. And sometimes it takes a great deal of willpower to try and focus on rereading my novel for, say, the twentieth time. I console myself with the knowledge that each edit makes the book better, but that doesn’t make each edit any easier.
Q. Poetry plays a prominent role in Beside a Burning Sea. Why did you decide to add this element to your novel?
A. Having lived in Japan, I’ve long had an appreciation for the simple beauty of haikus. Starting each chapter of Beside a Burning Sea with a haiku (written from Akira’s perspective) was fun for me as a writer. I hope readers enjoy these musings. Additionally, I felt that poetry—or a love of such inward exploration—was a thread that could be used to connect Annie and Akira.
Q. How much of your success do you attribute to the book club program that you launched with your first novel?
A. Publishing is an extremely competitive industry. A great number of good books exist, but many simply don’t sell. The fact that Beneath a Marble Sky is available in fifteen languages and is selling briskly throughout much of the world is due in large part to all of the wonderful book clubs that I spoke with. These clubs (as well as individual readers, of course) have been tremendously supportive of me, and have really championed my novel.
Q. Are there any other thoughts that you’d like to share with your readers?
A. Simply that I continue to be grateful for their support.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the significance of the title Beside a Burning Sea. Additionally, the original title was The Poet Makers. Which title do you prefer? Why?
2. Did Beside a Burning Sea provide you with a better understanding of World War II? If so, how?
3. Would you consider Beside a Burning Sea an antiwar novel?
4. Who was your favorite character and why?
5. Are you interested in learning more about haikus?
6. Is this a novel that would lend itself well to the silver screen? If so, who would you imagine playing the various characters?
7. Are you more interested in reading a novel set somewhere you haven’t been, or would you prefer a locale that you’re familiar with?
8. What do you think was the biggest challenge that John Shors faced when writing Beside a Burning Sea?
9. Did you connect more with Annie or Isabelle? Why?
10. Of the three main relationships in the novel (Annie and Akira, Isabelle and Joshua, Ratu and Jake), which did you most enjoy? For what reasons?
11. How effective was the character Roger as a villain?
12. What was your favorite scene within Beside a Burning Sea?
Watch for the next poignant, provocative novel from bestselling author John Shors
In the Footsteps of Dragons
Coming from New American Library in September 2009
Set in modern-day Vietnam, In the Footsteps of Dragons tells the tale of two Americans who, as a way of healing their own painful pasts, open a center to support and educate Vietnamese street children. Learning from the poorest of the poor, the most silent of the unheard, the Americans find themselves reborn in an exotic land filled with corruption and chaos, sacrifice and beauty. Resounding with powerful themes of suffering, love, and redemption, In the Footsteps of Dragons brings together East and West, war and peace, and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
After graduating from Colorado College, John Shors lived for several years in Kyoto, Japan, where he taught English. On a shoestring budget, he later trekked across Asia, visiting ten countries and climbing the Himalayas. After returning to the United States, he became a newspaper reporter in his hometown, Des Moines, Iowa, winning several statewide awards in journalism. John then moved to Boulder, Colorado, and helped launch GroundFloor Media, now one of the state’s largest public-relations firms. John’s first novel, Beneath a Marble Sky, was a Fore Word magazine “Book of the Year” and is available in fifteen languages.
John has been lucky enough to spend much of his life abroad, traveling in Asia, the South Pacific, Europe, Africa, and North America. Recently achieving his lifelong dream of becoming a full-time novelist, John spends his days writing and going on family outings with his wife, Allison, and their two young children, Sophie and Jack. Beside a Burning Sea is his second novel.