Blog Archives
So Many Mysteries
Those Who Live follows two cousins who stumble onto a chilling family secret—six baby girls, all born into their family, all dead in infancy, and they start investigating the family’s dark secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As this book unwound, like silk thread from its cocoon, there were many inspirations. For example, the character, Cody, emanated from a pedicurist who just didn’t seem like a pedicurist–wearing a hunting shirt and being the only Caucasian in a Thai establishment. The original inspiration came from my fascination with my maternal grandmother’s early life. Daughter of Irish “newspaper men” in the 1840s, she was expected to lead the life of a faithful Irish Republican girl on the same block in Brooklyn where her family lived. Her “perfect” sister, Mary, lived there her whole life, married a Murphy, and saw her first child become a nun. However, my grandmother ran off with a PROTESTANT, and some on the block said they never married, but they did, and worse, they left Brooklyn for New Jersey, where my grandmother became a landlord. I just thought, there must be so many mysteries there. Also, my mother was born blue and was indeed rushed to the kitchen sink where she was baptized by Mary, the perfect sister, who gave her the name, “Mary,” later changed.
What was your inspiration for Chinle and Mae and their relationship?
My husband and I were booked to go to Chinle, Arizona, the land of the Navajo. We planned to tour the cases, led by a native leader, but I broke my arm, ending the trip. Chinle came somehow from that. I had a terrible triad injury to the arm, and there was talk of whether it would ever heal. It did, but that fear stirred in me. As a child, I had a phobia about amputees, and I let some of my feelings about my arm ( I didn’t like it) brew into my character and I decided to write about amputation as someone over the phobia. As to Mae, she was at first a mirror to Chinle, but as she went through her own losses, I found her maturing and I began to like her quite a lot, so I let her become brave enough to take the challenge Cody offered, so it was her own courage that led her to her second sweet life.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Amputation was one. I also wanted to explore something about the West and its allure. As the book unfurled, I wanted to imagine what it would be like for a father and daughter to rekindle after the life decisions that were made in the novel. I wanted Chinle’s love of life to permeate the entire book, which happened along the way and especially when she talked to Ennis. I wanted to explore how a person becomes a myth, which is what Chinle became in the eyes of all who loved her. That’s what those last two chapters are about.
What is the next book that you’re working on and when can your fans expect it out?
I am into my fifth novel. It is called Rosaline. The six chapters each look at a different time in history, but all of the female leads are named Rosaline. The reason is that was the name of the ideal woman in sonnet sequences and during the Renaissance. In Romeo and Juliet, before Romeo meets Juliet, he is out of his mind in love with Rosaline, who is never in the play. She is merely a figment from Romeo’s mind of what the ideal woman is. That is what I explore here: how physical beauty in a woman, though much admired by men, is a curse for women, who are never actually SEEN for who they are because that beauty blurs any chance of knowing them. I’m in chapter 3 of 6 or 7 chapters, so I’d guess it would be finished in 2026.
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As the interviews proceed, Chinle, injured at five when someone pushed her on her bike down a deep, steep, rocky ravine, begins to have memories of the accident that left her with an inturned right foot, a leg with little feeling, and a spastic gait due to neurological damage. The mystery of who pushed Chinle gradually becomes more central than the mysteries of the six infants. The relationship between Chinle and Mae becomes tenser and more layered as each woman’s romantic life becomes more complex, Chinle establishing a bond with Cody and Mae, losing her bond with her long-time boyfriend, Bernie.
What will each woman discover about herself as mysteries between them unfold?
Those Who Live
This book got its hooks in me right from the first chapter. Those Who Live follows two cousins, Chinle and Mae, who stumble onto a chilling family secret—six baby girls, all born into their family, all dead in infancy, and nobody wants to talk about it. When Mae and Chinle start digging through old diaries and confronting family members, they open a Pandora’s box of dark history, secrets and, let’s just say, not-so-trustworthy narrators. The story is told through a mix of diary entries, interviews, and personal accounts, which gives it a raw, almost documentary feel. But don’t let that fool you, this book is anything but dry. It’s eerie, emotional, and absolutely gripping.
Bonnie MacDougall has this way of making everything feel so personal, like you’re sitting in the room with Mae and Chinle, listening to them argue about who makes the next phone call or watching them lay out their case like true detectives. The dialogue is sharp, and the characters especially Chinle, have real depth. Chinle, with her physical struggles and razor-sharp mind, is one of the most compelling characters I’ve read in a long time. There’s a moment when she starts having visions of an old trauma (was it really an accident, or was she pushed?), and that absolutely floored me. The way MacDougall weaves together past and present makes the tension constant. I couldn’t stop flipping pages.
The mystery itself is layered. One of my favorite parts is when they meet their cousin Maple-Syrup (yes, that’s her real name), an alcoholic with a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder. She’s got sass for days, and her interactions with Mae had me laughing and cringing at the same time. But she also holds pieces of the truth, and when she finally starts opening up, it’s heartbreaking. The book keeps you guessing. Every family member seems to have a version of the past that doesn’t quite line up. And then there’s Theresa’s diary (wow), which is honestly one of the most disturbing and fascinating pieces of the whole book. It completely shifts the story into something even darker than I was expecting.
By the time I reached the end, I was emotionally wrung out. But I loved it. Those Who Live isn’t just about solving a mystery, it’s about family, trauma, and the weight of unspoken history. Fans of true crime, family sagas with a dark twist, or anything Gillian Flynn-esque will eat this up.
Pages: 298 | ASIN : B0DS9RFGP6
Letters Can Tell Stories
Love, Ruthie follows a woman who receives a letter from her lifelong friend that leads her to reflect on the experiences that have brought her to where she is today. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
These days people often keep in touch through quick quips, or, worse, emojis. Letters can tell stories or ask for stories indicating an interest in another person that is real.
Ruthie wades through the memories of her life growing up and finding who she is. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
A technique I use is what I’ve named the sausage technique. Every sausage has a casing, and that casing can hold different fillings. In writing, the casing is an event that may once have held autobiographical material that the author has taken out and re-filled with fictional material. So, yes, for instance: I got my Ph.D. at Columbia University, and so know the campus well, but I never went to Barnard, and my experiences at Columbia are not anything like Ruthie’s experiences as an undergraduate student at Barnard.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I’m interested in religious labels that people carry though they did not choose those labels. I like the writings of Jung, so the exploration of knowing what one projects and the awareness of a shadow come from an interest in his writings.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
The novel I wrote after Love, Ruthie, is named Those Who Lived. It is complete and not complete, so I have gone back to it to add to it, and to revise some of it. I should be ready to show it to a potential publisher this spring.
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When Ruth gets Jane’s letter with this question about Wordsworth’s line, she decides to review what stood out in her childhood and ask herself if those times informed and shaped the woman she became. This process takes her weeks and traverses early family memories, her college years, a job in Washington, her first lover, and other experiences on her way to becoming her own woman. Her answer to Jane’s question is Love, Ruthie.
Love, Ruthie
In Love, Ruthie, author Bonnie MacDougall invites readers to the sun-dappled shores of Sebastian Bay, Florida, where Ruth Lucas, a woman in her thirties, embarks on a reflective journey through her past. Prompted by a poetic inquiry from her lifelong friend, Jane Meyer, in New York, the narrative unfurls the tapestry of Ruthie’s life, tracing her path from her late teens into her early thirties.
This coming-of-age tale weaves through the intricate patterns of Ruthie’s experiences, from navigating the challenges of college roommates and first loves to confronting the deeper currents of grief, career choices, religious considerations, and familial complexities. Throughout her story, Ruthie remains endearingly imperfect, a quality that renders her character both authentic and deeply relatable. Her friend Jane emerges as a steadfast presence, anchoring Ruth through her most tumultuous storms.
MacDougall’s narrative prowess shines as she delves into the flaws and foibles of her protagonist, presenting them not as detractions but as the very elements that draw the reader closer to Ruth. The story navigates through Ruth’s highs and lows, with her support system, particularly Jane and her family, providing a backdrop of unwavering support. The narrative is engaging and the themes of self-discovery and familial bonds resonate strongly. I feel the character of Jane, Ruth’s confidante, leaves the reader curious for a deeper exploration, perhaps hinting at the potential for a companion narrative from Jane’s perspective.
Love, Ruthie is a heartfelt exploration of the journey of growing up and finding one’s place in the world. It will likely appeal to those who appreciate young adult themes, the intricacies of self-discovery, and narratives rich with family dynamics. Bonnie MacDougall has crafted a world where the protagonist’s trials and triumphs reflect the universal quest for personal identity and connection.
Pages: 255 | ASIN : B0CQQ3XZGK
LITERARY TITAN 