The Fragile World (33 page)

Acknowledgments

The first thanks goes to my families, the Treicks and DeBoards, and their extensions—the Battses and Cervanteses and Kranzes and Wills, the Visses and Boons and Cefres, and the Davenports and Ayalas and Youngs—for their love and support. Special shout-outs to John DeBoard, my biggest fan, Beth Boon and Sara Viss for reading early drafts, Beth Slattery for the give-and-take critique every writer needs, and Kelly Jones for reading late into the night and then meeting me for an emergency lunch. (I so needed that.) Love and thanks to the extended Stonecoast/University of Southern Maine community of faculty and writers, especially Paige Levin. (We’re only “eight away,” you know!)

Every writer needs a group like the English Girls—Mary Swier, Cameron Burton, Alisha Vasche, Jenna Valponi, Amie Carter and Michelle Charpentier—and I’m so blessed to have these women as friends. I’m also grateful to others who listened to my ramblings, especially when they had little choice in the matter: my Wexford’s trivia buddies, my comp students, and the members of the Writer’s Guild at San Joaquin-Delta Community College.

The team at Harlequin MIRA was amazing—Erika Imranyi championed this book from its inception, and Michelle Meade helped me to see through to the heart of the story and make the book in every way better. I loved that Michelle seemed to feel the same way about the Kaufmans that I did: that they were real people we just needed to understand a bit better. Much appreciation also to my agent Melissa Flashman at Trident Media Group, who has proven to be both a sounding board for my scattered ideas and an invaluable resource for my panicked questions. Alanna Ramirez Garcia—good thoughts are still coming your way.

Since
The Mourning Hours
was published, I’ve heard from readers across North America (especially—oh, my goodness!—readers in Wisconsin). Thank you for allowing my little book into your lives. To the booksellers and bloggers and librarians who eat, sleep and breathe books—I’m proud to be your kindred spirit.

As I was researching this book, Craig Macho gave me a much-needed, slightly terrifying, after-hours crash course on firearms. Any errors in that regard are solely mine. Other research was conducted along I-80 in a madcap version of Curtis and Olivia’s road trip—from Oberlin, Ohio, back to California with a few interesting detours en route. Will and I were thrilled to connect with Dawn Cordes, Jim and Nancy Kwasteniet, Joel Hood, and Sean and Laurie Covington along the way. I like to think my parents were there in spirit (rather than at home in California) as we crossed the plains and crested the Rockies—my dad grumbling at the frequency of the bathroom stops, my mom insisting we brake for every brown historical marker.

On that note, much love and gratitude is owed to my forever road-trip companion and coconspirator, Will DeBoard. There are crazy ideas I haven’t even had yet that I already know you’ll agree to, take on and stand behind. This book—like all our adventures—wouldn’t be possible without you.

THE
FRAGILE
WORLD

PAULA TREICK D
E
BOARD

Reader’s Guide

Questions for Discussion

1. Was it surprising that Kathleen was able to move on with her life while Curtis couldn’t seem to move past his anger? What causes parents to react differently to tragedies in their family?
   
2. Would you be able to forgive a person who caused serious injury or death to a loved one—even if that act was unintentional?
   
3. Robert Saenz, although a fictional character, could be all too real. Curtis believes the judicial system has failed where Robert Saenz is concerned. What might be an appropriate punishment for an action—however unintentional—that has such deadly consequences?
   
4. Curtis doesn’t seem to believe he could ever cause harm to Olivia or Kathleen, although of course, his actions could have a devastating effect on their lives, as well. Does this lack of awareness come from a callousness or insensitivity to others, or is he simply blind to everything but his desire for revenge?
   
5. Consider Olivia’s many fears throughout the book. Do these fears seem like a natural reaction to her circumstances, or a sign of a more serious issue? In what ways can fear affect a person?
   
6. Why does Kathleen take more responsibility than she deserves for what happens at the end of the book? Why doesn’t Curtis intervene and publicly take responsibility?
   
7. When Curtis and Olivia say “Love… Eventually” at the end of the book, do you believe them? Can things work out for the Kaufmans, moving forward?
   

A Conversation with Paula Treick DeBoard

The Fragile World
is as much a story about loss and grief as it is about love and the strength of family. What was the inspiration for this story and the characters in the books?

The Fragile World
wasn’t inspired by any one event, but my heart goes out to families who have experienced a heartbreaking tragedy or loss. In this story Curtis needs to hold someone accountable for his son’s death; it’s the only way he can make sense of his new world. It’s a dark but very human impulse, and I wanted to follow him down that path to see what this would mean for the rest of the family. Ultimately, people do deal with tragedy in different ways, but I always want to believe that healing is possible.

Your previous novel,
The Mourning Hours
, is told from the point of view of a young girl named Kirsten. In this novel, sixteen-year-old Olivia is one of the two main perspectives. What draws you to writing from the eyes of a younger narrator?

I can’t say that this decision was a conscious choice from the beginning, but after I had the idea for the book, I tried to just let the characters speak to me. I found Olivia’s voice to be an interesting contrast to her father’s and really enjoyed writing her scenes. Between my time as a student and my time as a teacher, I’ve spent twelve years in high school, so I feel oddly comfortable entering the mind of a young person.

Also, I suspect that at heart I am very immature.  :-)

A big part of
The Fragile World
takes place on the road. Did the confined setting present a challenge as you wrote or was it helpful?

I come by my love of road trips honestly—my parents carted my sisters and me around the country every summer of my childhood. I made my peace with that feeling of confinement and used it as a springboard for creativity. Plus, the world outside the window always amazes me—there’s a stark beauty in even the most unvaried setting. In a practical sense, Curtis and Olivia’s road trip brought them away from the world they knew into a new realm of possibilities. Unfortunately, they didn’t get to do all the really cool things along I-80, like visit the world’s largest stuffed polar bear in Elko, Nevada, or the landlocked lighthouse in Gretna, Nebraska.

Curtis, Kathleen and Olivia go through an extremely emotional journey throughout the course of the novel. While experiencing moments of utter despair, there are also beautiful moments of joy and acceptance. By the end of the story, they’ve all grown immensely, yet there seems to be a lot of healing left to do. What do you hope readers will take away from watching the evolution of these characters?

Deep down, I’m skeptical of fairy-tale endings and happily-ever-afters. What I’m more interested in is how people move on after tragedies—how they go about their everyday lives, and how they continue to love each other, even in the midst of a complicated situation. The Kaufmans are working through a devastating loss in their various ways, but I hope readers see a family that still cares deeply for each other.

Do you read other fiction while you’re doing your own writing or do you find it distracting?

I read constantly, whether I’m actively writing a story or not, and I’ve come to the point where I realize that my current “to read” list is long enough to last the rest of my life. Reading is my first love, and I can’t stay away from it for any prolonged period of time. I do tend to compartmentalize the facets of my life—when I’m writing, I give it all my focus. But every night, I find time to curl up with a book.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you outline first, or dive right in? Do you have a routine? Do you let anyone read early drafts, or do you keep the story private until it’s finished?

As I was writing
The Fragile World,
I had a rough outline of the book in my head—although not on paper. In general, each day I have more or less an idea of what I want to accomplish with a particular scene, so I start from there. One of the interesting things that happens as you write a story is that the characters almost become real people—they say unexpected things and make surprising decisions, and that might change a key scene or the overall direction of the story. Sometimes these little detours make all the difference, so it’s crucial to listen to that instinct.

Until I reach a point where I feel comfortable sharing the story, I tend to keep my writing to myself. When there’s something (like a sticky plot point) I’m trying to wrap my mind around, I’ll talk it through with a trusted friend—a sort of writer’s therapy session. I do have a small group of readers I can count on for honest feedback when I’m ready to share, and I’m immensely grateful to them.

What was your greatest challenge in writing
The Fragile World?
What about your greatest pleasure?

I split my time between writing and teaching college-level composition, so it’s always a challenge to stay on top of each discipline. But I’ve found that these parts of my life are complementary; writing is my solitary escape, and teaching gets me out of my head and allows me to interact with others. I’ve found that when I’m working on a longer manuscript, I have to take pleasure in the small victories—the scenes that come together well, the breakthroughs in character or plot that suddenly open up in my mind. But the ultimate gratification comes from connecting and sharing with other writers, whether professionals or beginners.

In
The Fragile World,
Olivia is working through a number of fears—some realistic, and others very unlikely to happen. Were you able to relate to any of her fears?

I’ve had many fears in my lifetime, but most of them, like a fear of the dark, I’ve basically outgrown. The one fear that persists is claustrophobia; no matter the situation, I am very aware of the amount of space around me. On a trip to Barcelona, my husband (who is afraid of heights) and I ill-advisedly climbed the very narrow, winding steps to a spire atop La Sagrada Família. We laugh about it now, because that’s all we can do. But neither of us was laughing at the time.

“A heart-stopping series of events drives
The Fragile World.
The result is a gripping read, but one that delivers, by the book’s end, a beautiful reminder of the resilience of love.”
—Karen Brown, author of
The Longings of Wayward Girls

If you loved
The Fragile World,
don’t miss
The Mourning Hours,
also by acclaimed author Paula Treick DeBoard.

Available now in ebook format.

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