A heartbreaking loss. A life-changing secret. Will the truth bring three daughters closer together or tear them apart? Morgan, Charlotte, and Abby Weiss are filled with mixed emotions. After their beloved mother took her own life without leaving a note, the siblings go through the motions of a funeral while grappling with grief and anger at their parents’ actions. Leaning into their close connection and taking a break from their lives, their men, and their personal issues, they move into their mother’s house in search of answers. As they unearth clues about a mysterious stranger, the Weiss sisters travel to Las Vegas, hoping to find closure. However, they only encounter more questions and confusion as they follow the trail onward to New York… and their mother’s hidden past. Can Morgan, Charlotte, and Abby survive a revelation that changes everything they hold to be true? When People Leave is a captivating contemporary novel that explores familial relationships, grief, anger, and resolutions.
What was the inspiration behind the book?
I’ve always been interested in stories about women and the challenges they face at different points in their lives. In my latest novel, When People Leave, the story centers on three sisters and their single mother, who takes her own life. The daughters set out on a journey to understand why she would do this, especially since their mother always seemed happy. They discover that their mother had secrets that impacted her life and theirs. The inspiration for the novel came from people I knew in my own life who had died by suicide without their families or friends knowing they were depressed. I also read a newspaper article about college students who took their own lives and the aftermath for their parents and friends. The parents struggled to understand why their children would do such a thing. I thought this would make a compelling story.
Why is it important to balance tough emotions like grief and anger with humor?
My background is in writing TV sitcoms, and my favorite shows are those that lighten heavier subjects with humor. Grief is not a straight line. When I lost my father eight years ago, my mother, my sisters, and I moved between laughing and crying at any moment. Mourning someone is a poignant process, but along with that sense of loss can come funny and joyful moments. When someone reads my books, I want their experience not to be a downer, even if some of the subject matter is sad. I enjoy writing the funny moments, witty dialogue, and lightness as much as the drama.
What surprised you most about the process of writing this book?
What surprised me most was how readers came up with reasons for the characters' actions and reactions that I hadn't even thought of. As an author, you write hoping your story feels true, but when readers intuit even more reasons for why your characters acted a certain way, it's unexpected and very rewarding. I was also surprised at how easily this book came together for me, especially since none of my other novels had a mystery involved.
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