But because I was so frustrated with the school board’s insistence that I stick to the “classics” and so frustrated with the result (teens thought reading was boring), I carved out ten minutes at the end of most class periods to read aloud to my students from a bona fide YA novel. They loved it. They started asking for that time and were disappointed if we didn’t get to it. The book was Up Country by Alden R. Carter, and it dealt with serious subjects like substance addiction, dysfunctional families, criminal activity, and, because it was realistic, it included the occasional curse word. (My students were shocked when they heard me read a swear word for the first time; they thought I added it to hold their attention, and I had to show them where it appeared on the page.)
You can see where this is going, right? One of the students happened to tell her parents that her English teacher was reading something … um … colorful, and those parents went to the school board, and I was told to knock it off with the “unapproved” reading material or I’d be out of a job. The superintendent remained staunchly unmoved by my assurance that I was devoting the bulk of my classes to the required curriculum; by anecdotes of recalcitrant readers’ engagement and absorption during those read-aloud segments; by how animatedly my students were talking about the characters and wondering what would happen next. (They had never given one whit about Pip or Oliver Twist.)
CM: Were you writing during this time?
LD: Literary short stories, yes. YA novels, no. I didn’t consider writing my own YA until years later, when I was in graduate school. One of my assignments for my class on teaching writing was to complete one of the projects I’d assigned my freshman composition students. I opted for one of the creative, open-ended assignments, rather than the required research papers. And in my piece, I narrated from the point of view of a high school junior who was selling his prescription drugs to his classmates. Unbeknownst to me, my professor gave what I’d written to his teen son, who reportedly liked it so much that he asked his dad for the “rest of the book.” My prof shared this with me (thanks, Dr. Riggio), and a goal was born.
CM: And Borrowed is the result of these years of writing?
LD: Borrowed is my first published book, but it’s not even close to the first novel manuscript I’ve written.
CM: What was the revision process like for Borrowed? What did you focus on as you revised?
LD: What didn’t I focus on! The revision process was intense but rewarding. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked on my first published book with Jotham Burrello (the mastermind behind Elephant Rock Books; rest assured, people, he uses his powers for good). I bet I would’ve been overwhelmed with the typical twelve-page, single-spaced revision letter from the editor, probably not knowing where/how to start. So I’m especially grateful for the way Jotham works: systematically, breaking things down into manageable chunks. We spoke by phone each week, and we worked on the manuscript in “passes,” having a different focus each round (for instance, deepening characters and character motivations; voice; setting). One of the first things Jotham identified that I needed to zero in on was the story’s time line. Basically I had such a squishy time line it was nonexistent. Because time lines feel like math, and math and I are not the best of friends, I’d been avoiding that. Before we could get down to serious story work, we needed to work out the story calendar.
CM: When did you know that the book was “capital D Done”?
LD: When Jotham told me we had to stop noodling with it! I can’t stress enough how important trusted readers are to the revision process. We’ll always be too close to our work to read it like an editor. Henry James was famous for that, always wanting to rewrite published work, even when he was only asked to write an introduction to a new edition. Because we’re always different people when we revisit our work (even subtly different, even a few months’ different), it’s impossible not to see words/phrases/details we want to change, regardless of how capital D Done the work felt at the time of publication.
I’ve put my all into each round of edits. But I know if/when I go back for a reread, I will encounter things I wish I could change! I’ll have to devise a distraction to get me through those times. Maybe I’ll dust off a volume of Henry James.
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
Maxine is driven, perhaps above all else, by her love for her two younger brothers. What do Race and Will teach Max about love and about family?
The theme of knowing yourself/others runs throughout the book. Which challenges push Linnea, Max, and Harper to learn more about themselves and what they’re capable of? And how do the assumptions they make about the people in their lives hold up along the way?
Despite its hopeful message and optimistic ending, Borrowed travels to some very dark places. How does the novel balance competing tones of hope and hopelessness during its final act?
On more than one occasion, Harper feels that she can see past Chris’s monstrousness to the boy he used to be. Why do you think Harper is the only one who seems able to see this side of Chris?
Max feels an immense amount of guilt over Harper’s death. How does Max wrestle with this guilt throughout the novel? Do you think it’s justified?
One of the major themes of the novel’s final act is healing. Think about a time when you had to overcome an obstacle. What—or who—helped you see the light?
The book is written from multiple points of view. How do these alternating voices drive the narrative? And how do each of the voices reflect the narrator’s personality?
Up until the very end of the story, Max refuses to believe that Harper really is inhabiting Linnea’s body. What do you think ultimately changes her mind?
Throughout her life, Linnea has had to struggle to survive, and baking has become not only a means of creative expression, but also a therapeutic outlet. How does the symbolic significance of the culinary arts manifest itself throughout the novel?
By the novel’s end, Max and Linnea have become close friends. Beyond what happened at the campground, what do you think brought these two girls together? What has kept them close?
ALSO BY ELEPHANT ROCK BOOKS
The Art of Holding on and Letting Go by Kristin Bartley Lenz
“Eloquent debut.”
–Booklist;
Junior Library Guild Selection
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley
“Powerfully Evocative!”
–Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review;
Printz Honor Book & Morris Finalist
The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel
“Clever, vigorously written, intently observed, and richly emotional.”
–Booklist
Briefly Knocked Unconscious by a Low-Flying Duck: Stories from 2nd Story
“This collection will demand, and receive, return trips from its readers.”
–Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
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