I’ve had a crazy month and so haven’t had time to post here on the blog, but I had to make time to shout about Amy Trueblood’s new book, ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE. It released on Nov. 5, and I’m going to give away a copy to one of you lucky readers, but if you don’t win, please please please go out and get it for yourself anyway!

I had the privilege of reading an early version of this book, and I loved it then, but when I read the final version–wow! Just like with NOTHING BUT SKY, Amy invested an incredible amount of time and energy into researching the historical time period for ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE, and she also delivers a powerful young woman who stands up for herself believably in that time. Here’s the cover and description, followed by the interview.

The last thing eighteen-year-old Wilhelmina “Willa” MacCarthy wants is to be a nun. It’s 1936, and as the only daughter amongst four sons, her Irish-Catholic family is counting on her to take her vows—but Willa’s found another calling. Each day she sneaks away to help Doctor Katherine Winston in her medical clinic in San Francisco’s Richmond District.

Keeping secrets from her family only becomes more complicated when Willa agrees to help the doctor at a field hospital near the new bridge being built over the Golden Gate. Willa thinks she can handle her new chaotic life, but as she draws closer to a dashing young iron worker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all.

And here are Amy’s answers to my five questions!

1. I love how rich and nuanced Willa’s family is. Yes, they have a lot of expectations for her, but it’s obvious there are many layers behind those expectations, as well as past hurt that informs the views of each character. How did you ensure each family member was unique and contributed to the family dynamic in their own way? Do you have a favorite MacCarthy brother?

One of my big goals with the MacCarthy boys was to have their views evolve over time. The only way I felt I could do this coherently was to have each of them yearn for something more for their lives like Willa. This allowed me to not only share their struggles, but also allow them to identify with Willa in a way they never had before.

I started out loving Paddy (and I still do), but Nick became a favorite toward the end of the book. He loves Willa very much and he struggles the most with accepting the change he knew was coming.

2. I love how this book weaves a story into an interesting slice of history–the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. What is your favorite fact–or the most interesting–that you were able to include? On the flip side, what’s something you wanted to include but couldn’t fit in?

After doing so much research, I knew I wanted to include some reference to the “Halfway to Hell” club. This was what a group of 19 workers called themselves after each one had their own harrowing experience with falling into the safety net tethered below the bridge.

I do highlight some of the safety measures used on the bridge, but I would have loved to include more of them in the story. For example, one of the biggest safety issues developed early on in the construction. Men who worked inside the steel towers starting getting very sick. Their hair and teeth were falling out at alarming rates and people couldn’t figure out why. They brought in experts and discovered that the heat of the metal rivets against the lead paint they were using gave off toxic fumes, which caused the rampant sickness. After this was discovered, men working inside the towers were required to wear air respirators.

3. I loved the 1930s medical advice you shared on Instagram leading up to the book’s release. Out of that research, what medical practice/advice has stood the test of time?

This is a great question. I think one of the things that struck me most was the early discovery of issues with bacteria. Even in the 1930s textbooks I studied, there were many, many chapters devoted to keeping bacteria at bay not only in wounds but when cleaning instruments. One thing that still floors me though is that back in the early twentieth century doctors were still using their bare hands to treat patients. Gloves were only used for surgery. It wouldn’t be until 1964 that disposable gloves were introduced and used more regularly.

4. While the book focuses mainly on Willa deciding what she wants to do with her life, really there are several characters trying to figure out their place in the face of parental and societal obstacles. What do you want readers to take away from that?

There is the universal theme of following your dreams of course, but for me this book also challenges the role we play in our families. If you have several siblings it seems like each one is always cast in a certain role. The oldest becomes the pseudo-parent. The middle child is often overlooked, and the final child gets the moniker of being the “baby”. With this book, I wanted to question and challenge those familial roles. Force each sibling to see their brother or sister in a light outside what was the normal family order.

5. Is there anything you learned about the 1930s or San Francisco during that time that you wish you could have experienced firsthand?

I would have loved to have seen the Sutro Baths in its heyday. Even by 1936 it was in disrepair, but I think it would have been interesting to see how the water flowed into the pools from the Pacific Ocean just outside. To walk along the promenade overlooking the pools and see all the animals and birds housed in the glass exhibits scattered throughout the building. I imagine it was quite the experience!

Thank you, Amy!

If you can’t tell, I love this book, and I urge you all to go out and buy it yourselves! Or ask your library to order it. However, I will give away one copy here on the blog. North America only, please. Leave a comment below or click on the Rafflecopter for additional entries. Open until next Monday, Dec. 2. Whether you win the giveaway or not, definitely add ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE to your TBR list!

Note: This giveaway has ended.