Pink Polka Dot Books: Across a Broken Shore: Interview w/ Amy Trueblood + Giveaway!!

Across a Broken Shore

by Amy Trueblood
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: November 5, 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

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 ironworker and risks grow at the bridge, she discovers that hiding from what she truly wants may be her biggest lie of all.

Interview

Hi Amy!! Welcome to the FFBC-- We're so happy to have you!!

Can you briefly describe ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE and the main characters?

In 1936 San Francisco, eighteen-year-old Willa is bound for the convent. But when she meets a local female doctor, Dr. Katherine Winston she will defy her family and work with the doctor to care for the men building the Golden Gate Bridge.

What made you interested in the setting & time period?

I read a lot of YA Historical and had never seen a story that takes place in the time between World War I and World War II, specifically The Great Depression. I also thought the building of the Golden Gate Bridge was fascinating, and I knew I wanted to somehow weave it into my narrative. When I came across a story of Dr. Lucy Wanzer, who practiced in San Francisco just before this time period, the story fell into place.

Can you tell us one interesting fact about the Golden Gate Bridge that you discovered while researching this book?

Men who were working on riveting the metal pieces of the bridge together suddenly started getting sick. Their hair and teeth were falling out and no one could figure out why. They eventually discovered that the men were inhaling lead-tainted fumes created when the hot rivets struck the lead paint of the towers. At that point, they made the men start wearing respirator masks. This is just one of the many groundbreaking safety features that were implemented to keep the men building the bridge healthy and safe.

What were your favorite books in elementary/middle school?

I was a big Beverly Cleary fan and read every single one of the Encyclopedia Brown books.

If you could go back and tell your YA self one thing, what would it be?

No matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone. The people who will become your longtime friends will be the ones who love you for you, not because you are smart or funny, but because they care about you as a person.

What are your 3 favorite books that you read in the past year?

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

We Walked the Sky by Lisa Fiedler

The Speed of Falling Objects by Nancy Richardson Fischer

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Weight of Love by The Black Keys

What 3 hashtags would you most associate with your book? (Could be a word or phrase or anything that would instantly make you think of ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE or the series in general.)

#FierceGirls, #WomeninMedicine #YAHistorical

Are there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE (specific music, snacks…)?

I’ve had a lot of people comment that it’s a good fall book. That could be because it’s set in San Francisco and there is a lot of rain and fog. So maybe readers could cozy up with a cup of cocoa next to a fire before they read!

What’s next for you?

I’m currently revising a YA Contemporary and drafting a YA Thriller about a small town with a lot of scary secrets!

Thanks so much for this!! We’re really excited to have you in our tours!

Amy Trueblood grew up in California only ten minutes from Disneyland which sparked an early interest in storytelling. As the youngest of five, she spent most of her time trying to find a quiet place to curl up with her favorite books. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in journalism, she worked in entertainment in Los Angeles before returning to work in Arizona.

Fueled by good coffee and an awesome Spotify playlist, you can often find Amy blogging and writing. Nothing But Sky, a 2018 Junior Library Guild selection, is her first novel.