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The Melding of Generations

Little Ships follows a man and his two adolescent daughters devasted by grief and forced to relocate following the sudden loss of their wife and mother. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Well, to start with I live in a multigenerational household! But mostly, I had a dear cousin whose wife died suddenly–this was a long time ago–and he did move in with his mother and his son and daughter. They live in TX, I’m in MT, so I don’t know much about how that went, but in fact he died two years later, too. He was dear to me, and the sorrow has stayed with me for a long time.

Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?

I grew up living in my grandmother’s home. And now I have my daughter and granddaughter in mine. It seems like the way of the world, the melding of generations. It just happens, because it needs to.

What was your approach to writing the interactions between Eleanor and Nick?

WIth all dialogue, I go around like there is a play running in my head, for weeks, maybe months, and with this story, literally for years. They pop up at odd moments–in the bathtub; mostly on walks. I hear them. I seek them out.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I am writing a novel based on my years of living in convent boarding schools, from 7th through 11th grades, in Texas. Goodness, I don’t know to expect it. I am aiming for the first of 2025 to have a manuscript I can show my agent. Wish me luck! (ALL THE NUNS ARE DEAD.) LET’S AIM FOR 2026 PUBLICATION!

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon

After adolescent sisters Juni and Tilde Becker wake up one morning to find their mother dead, their grandmothers appear the very next day to scoop up the girls and their inconsolable father, Nick, and take them home to small-town Oregon. The women are full of loving resolve, but good intentions are small guns against the waves of adolescence and the young family’s shocking history. Besides, the women, at ages sixty and seventy, are at their own crossroads. Across the months of spring, Nick reels from heartbreak and guilt; the sisters drift apart in the shoals of middle school; three marriages are tested; and the grandmothers seek new footing–in their own lives and with each other. There’s no best way forward, but making-do offers the girls–who need it most–a path to the future; and the women discover they have surprising futures of their own yet to live.

Posted in Interviews

Little Ships: A Novel

Jun 3

Posted by Literary Titan

Little Ships, by Sandra J. Scofield, offers a poignant exploration of grief, loss, and the delicate process of rediscovering joy in life. This novel is artfully composed, treating its characters with a tender yet determined touch that echoes Lynne Bryant’s The Mother Gene. Set in Oregon, the narrative centers on the Beckers and the Sunderssons, two families linked by the marriage of Nick Becker and Karin Sundersson. Nick, Karin, and their daughters, Juni and Tilde, form a close-knit unit. However, Karin’s sudden death uproots them to the Becker household—home to Nick’s parents, Eleanor and Walter, his sister Alison, and her daughter Fiona.

The story unfolds through their adjustments and accommodations, from reallocating space in the house to managing personal keepsakes like Karin’s jewelry and planning the girls’ weekends with their grandmother Helve. Eleanor, at 59, anticipates retirement but instead finds herself at the center of her family’s needs, embodying a quiet determination to nurture her granddaughters and support her son. Her efforts to reconcile with past resentments and cope with emerging family secrets add depth to her character and the family dynamics. Scofield’s narrative style combines clarity with evocative brevity, effectively painting vivid scenes and emotions without overwrought descriptions. The early chapters, laden with pathos, gradually transition to reveal the complex relationships within the family, offering insights into how everyday life can both challenge and heal those in mourning.

Little Ships stands out for its balanced portrayal of tragedy and the essential role of a supportive family network in fostering hope and resilience. This novel skillfully captures the myriad ways life’s everyday flow can both erode and soothe the sharp edges of grief.

Pages: 339 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CT47B3K1